The NC State volleyball team will take on its last two weekends of games on the road as it heads to Louisville, Kentucky to face Georgia Tech and Louisville, followed by a trip to Tallahassee, Florida to face Syracuse and Florida State to wrap up the season.
The Wolfpack (8-7, 7-7 ACC) will look to continue its current trend of a three-game winning streak, after sweeping both Clemson and Boston College in Reynolds the weekend prior.
No. 22 Georgia Tech (11-2, 10-2 ACC), March 27 at 3:30 p.m.
The Yellow Jackets are on a three-game winning streak as well, with three recent sweeps of Syracuse, Virginia Tech and Boston College. With only two losses for the season, one against Miami and another against No.19 Pittsburgh, Georgia Tech will be a tough challenge for the Wolfpack.
Leading Georgia Tech is Mariana Brambilla, who just reached 200 kills for the season in the team’s victories last weekend. Also leading the Yellow Jackets is Julia Bergmann, with 171 kills so far this season. Averaging 14 kills per set, Georgia Tech ranks top of the ACC and will be a tough team to beat. Of its 11 wins for the season, nine were 3-0 sweeps by the Yellow Jackets.
No. 14 Louisville (10-2, 8-2 ACC), March 28 at 2 p.m.
After facing the Yellow Jackets, the Wolfpack will turn to another tough challenge and take on the top-ranked Cardinals the next day. Louisville currently sits on a six-game winning streak, having not lost a match yet since October against Pitt. Averaging about 14 kills per set, the Cardinals will also be a large threat to the Pack’s winning streak.
Leading Louisville in kills is Aiko Jones, with 126 of the Cardinal’s kills for the season. Louisville leads the ACC in kills as well as blocks and has the ability to put a lot of points on its opponents quickly. There is no doubt this road trip for the Pack will be its toughest weekend yet.
Syracuse (5-7, 5-7 ACC), April 2 at 2 p.m.
After a weekend against the top two teams in the ACC, the Wolfpack will travel to Florida to take on Syracuse, a not-so-strong opponent. The Syracuse Orange currently sit on a two-game losing streak, dropping matches to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. The Orange also sit on an 0-5 away game record, hurting their chances of a victory while in Tallahassee.
Leading Syracuse on offense is Ella Saada, with 98 kills for the season. Opponents have outkilled the Orange 622 to 552 as Syracuse sits near the bottom of the ACC. After the prior weekend, this Syracuse matchup gives NC State a chance to prove itself and can hopefully be an easier match for the Wolfpack.
No. 25 Florida State (11-4, 7-4 ACC), April 3 at 1 p.m.
The Pack will wrap up its season and face the Seminoles in its last game of the season, and it will not be an easy one. Playing on its own turf, Florida State stands 7-0 at home for the season, giving the Pack a tough matchup. The Seminoles currently stand with a recent loss to Louisville, who snapped their 10-game winning streak, which the Seminoles will for sure be trying to get back.
Leading Florida State in kills is Morgan Chacon with 152 kills for the season. Averaging 12 kills per set, the Seminoles stand as one of the more dangerous teams in the conference. Florida State ranks third in hitting percentage within the ACC and is a huge threat for the Pack to finish the season on a win.
NC State will begin with its first game Saturday, March 27, at 3:30 p.m. in Louisville, Kentucky. The match will be aired on ACCNX.
