Coming off a win against Duke, the NC State volleyball team will look to continue its five-game winning streak as it prepares to go on a four-game road trip starting Friday, March 5 and continuing until March 14.
At Notre Dame – March 5
In its first match of the year, Notre Dame will host the Pack on its home turf at 7 p.m. The Fighting Irish are coming off a three-game winning streak, with an impressive 7-1 record for the year. Notre Dame has only fallen once this season, a 3-1 loss against Pittsburgh, but not before defeating Pitt two days before.
The Wolfpack will have to face Caroline Meuth of the Fighting Irish, who is currently leading her team this season with 114 kills and has seen an appearance in every set. Meuth also comes in second on the team in blocks with 34, just behind fellow teammate Hannah Thompson with 36. With a strong record and an average of 14 kills per set, Notre Dame will be one of the Wolfpack’s toughest challenges yet.
Vs. Miami in South Bend, Indiana – March 6
In a quick turnaround, NC State will remain in South Bend to face Miami the following day at 4 p.m. The Hurricanes currently sit with a 5-3 record, dropping two close 3-2 matches to Clemson and Georgia Tech, and dropping 3-1 to Florida State. With two cancellations against Central Florida, the Pack will be Miami’s first match of the spring season.
Leading the Hurricanes in kills this season is Elizaveta Lukianova with 149 kills after seeing action in every matchup of the fall. Another threat on the front will be Janice Leao, who is also a leader for Miami with 81 kills and leads the squad with 36 blocks. With a 3-1 away record, the Hurricanes will pose as another threat to the Wolfpack’s winning streak.
Vs. Pittsburgh in Winston-Salem – March 12
Pittsburgh currently sits at 5-4, most recently sweeping Villanova 3-0 on Feb. 14. Leading Pitt’s squad will be Kayla Lund, who not only leads the team in kills with 149, but also leads the Panthers in aces and digs. While Pitt currently holds a 4-4 ACC record, the Panthers have faced a tough schedule, playing No. 5 Notre Dame and No. 6 Louisville, and will still pose a challenge to the Wolfpack. The Pack will start its sets against the Panthers at 4 p.m.
At Wake Forest – March 14
Wrapping up its travel games, NC State will face Wake Forest, which has yet to win a match, going 0-6 this year. Sitting at the bottom of the ACC, Wake Forest will give the Wolfpack a prime opportunity to come out with a victory and improve its overall record after a long two weeks of away matches.
After the winter off, this run of away games will give the Wolfpack a true test of its talent. To continue its hot streak, NC State must find a way to keep the momentum and strike early on these tough opponents.
The Wolfpack will face Notre Dame first on Friday, March 5 at 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on ACCNX.
