NC State Volleyball Splits 1st Road Matches at SMU DoubleTree Classic

DALLAS –The NC State volleyball team split its first road matches of the season, as the Wolfpack earned a 3-1 win against the host SMU Mustangs before dropping a 3-0 decision against 15th-ranked Creighton Friday evening inside Moody Coliseum.

NC State moves to 2-2 on the year, while Creighton is 3-2 and SMU is 0-3. The Wolfpack will conclude play in the SMU DoubleTree Classic against Arkansas State Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

Quoting Hampton-Keith

Overall thoughts…

“We’re very pleased with the work we put in today,” said head coach Linda Hampton-Keith. “To start with a great win over a strong SMU team on their home court and to play our best volleyball so far against a ranked team, we experienced a lot of growth in one day of competition.

“It’s still very early in the season and we’re focused on our side of the net and continuing to clean up our execution, so from that standpoint it was a great day for the Wolfpack!”

Match Rewind Versus SMU

– Both teams started the match well, but NC State started to pull away in the middle of the set as a kill from Teni Sopitan capped a 5-1 run and forced an SMU timeout at 16-13.

– Four unanswered points gave the Wolfpack a 22-16 advantage following a kill from Jade Parchment, block from Melissa Evans and Keira Moore and a service ace by Grace Irvin.

– Another block from Evans and Moore gave NC State set point and Lauryn Terry finished it off with a kill from the middle, as the Pack won the opening frame, 25-18.

– It was all NC State early in the second set, as the Pack led 6-3 but a 7-1 run gave the Mustangs a 10-7 advantage and they never relinquished it.

– A kill from Evans trimmed the deficit to 20-18 but SMU went on to win the set, 25-21.

– In the third set, there were 14 ties and five lead changes. After the Mustangs pulled ahead, 15-12, the Wolfpack won four of the next five rallies to level the tally at 16-16.

– SMU took a 19-17 lead to force an NC State timeout, but Erin Chatman tallied a kill from the outside and Makenzie Kuchmaner recorded a service ace to even the score at 19.

– Tied at 22, Sopitan logged back-to-back kills to give NCSU a 24-22 lead and she closed out the set with a kill to lift the Wolfpack to a 2-1 advantage in the match.

– NC State took control of the fourth set with five unanswered points to take a 19-16 lead thanks to strong serving from Parchment and consecutive kills from Sopitan.

– After SMU cut the NC State lead to 21-20, the Wolfpack took a timeout and then scored four consecutive points to win the set, 25-20, and the match, 3-1.

Top Performers

– Sopitan charted a match-high 15 kills, while Parchment put down 12 kills in the first road match of her Wolfpack career.

– Evans also reached double-digit kills with 10 and collected 16 digs to notch her first career double-double.

– At the setter position, Kylie Pickrell led all players with 43 assists to go along with six digs and five kills.

– Defensively, senior libero Kuchmaner recorded a match-high 23 digs and defensive specialist Grace Irvin pitched in with 10.

Match Rewind Versus #15 Creighton

– NC State battled against the 15^th-ranked Creighton Bluejays but was not able to slow down the squad’s potent offensive attack.

– The Wolfpack opened strong against the Bluejays, as Parchment put down a kill from the outside on the first point of the match and the Wolfpack led 3-1 after an attacking error by the Bluejays.

– A 6-1 run gave Creighton an 11-6 lead, but NC State countered with four consecutive points to narrow the margin to 11-10.

– The Jays won six consecutive rallies to grab a 20-13, forcing the Pack to use both of its timeouts, before winning the frame, 25-19.

– After NC State narrowed the lead to 8-7 in the second set, Creighton went on a 5-1 run to take a 13-8 advantage and the Wolfpack used its first timeout at that point.

– Trailing 20-15, the Pack won three of the next four rallies to trim the Bluejays advantage to 21-18.

– Creighton held on down the stretch to win the set, 25-21, and take a 2-0 lead in the overall match.

– NC State tallied more kills than Creighton in the second (18-10), but the Wolfpack also committed more attacking errors (10-1).

– The Pack was within a few points of the Bluejays throughout most of the third set before CU pulled away with four unanswered points to take a 22-17 lead.

– NC State fought off match point three times before Creighton was able to convert to win the third set, 25-22, and the match, 3-0.

Top Performers

– Parchment led the Wolfpack with 13 kills in the contest, while Sopitan pitched in with 10.

– Evans tallied nine kills and Moore contributed eight.

– Pickrell led all players in the match with 39 assists in addition to six digs and two kills.

– Defensively, Kuchmaner, Evans and Parchment each tallied seven digs.

Up Next

NC State returns to action Saturday afternoon when the Wolfpack will conclude play in the SMU DoubleTree Classic against Arkansas State. First serve is slated for 1 p.m. inside Moody Coliseum.

(Photo Credit: Sharon Ellman Photography)