NC State volleyball downs Tar Heels 3-1 in Chapel Hill

To cap off a busy weekend for NC State volleyball,  the Wolfpack played its second away game against an in-state rival on Sunday, Oct. 29, defeating the UNC-Chapel Hill Tar Heels 3-1. Sophomore outside hitter Ava Brizard and junior opposite hitter Amanda Rice dominated in the afternoon matchup, with both athletes hitting over 15 kills. 

The Wolfpack (17-6, 7-5 ACC) took on the Tar Heels (10-11, 4-8 ACC) in Chapel Hill, and visitors didn’t let Carolina’s home-court advantage get to them. From the beginning of the matchup, the Pack was all over the net and back court, totalling 21 block assists and 54 digs by the end of four sets.

The first set started off strong for the red-and-white — the team took a quick 5-0 lead without breaking a sweat. Junior middle blocker Jada Allen notched two of her five total kills off those points. 

UNC was able to catch back up to the Pack and keep the game close for a while, but defensive specialist Skye Stokes brought the momentum back. Her two service aces towards the end of the first set gave the Wolfpack all the energy it needed to finish the set off 25-21. 

After the Tar Heels jumped out to a quick lead in the second set, NC State needed a hero to step up and bring the score back into its favor. Both Brizard and Rice took on that challenge, notching eight kills and a service ace to empower the Wolfpack’s 25-20 set victory.

While the front row was dominating on offense, it was also stifling on defense. Junior outside hitter Martyna Leoniak totalled six block assists through the matchup and senior middle blocker Riley Shaak followed close behind with five. Brizard recorded the only solo block at the net. 

The Tar Heels took back the momentum in the third set, winning a grueling 25-23 battle. While the score might look like it was a back-and-forth type of set, in reality the Wolfpack was playing catch-up for all 25 points. NC State totaled five service errors during this set alone, providing easy points for UNC to cash in on. 

The fourth and final set was a back-and-forth game, with neither team wanting to give up their lead. By the end of the set, there were 14 ties and seven lead changes, but the Pack eventually came up on top. Brizard, Rice and Leoniak played great volleyball during this set, each tallying multiple kills. 

NC State will head back home to Raleigh for its next pair of games, where it will take on Boston College and Syracuse. The matchup against the Eagles is set for Friday, Nov. 3 with first serve scheduled for 7 p.m.