The upcoming NC State volleyball season brings some big changes to the program, most notably the addition of new head coach Linda Hampton-Keith, who was hired after former head coach Bryan Bunn stepped down.
Hampton-Keith brings with her 14 years’ experience as an assistant coach at the Division I level, 12 years with the USA Volleyball Development Program and three as a head coach of a varsity program on the high school level.
Last season was a bit rocky for the Wolfpack volleyball team, ending the season with an overall record of 16-16 (5-15 ACC), but the team is working toward and is ready for a new start.
“On day one, we talked about getting to the NCAA tournament, and understanding what that means and what it’s going to take,” Hampton-Keith said.
With few seniors on last year’s squad, much of the team remains the same. Key players from last season such as senior libero Rachel Eppley, who led the team with 344 digs and an average of 3.95 digs per set, senior setter Maggie Speaks, who led the team with 1,060 assists, and junior middle blocker Kaitlyn Kearney, who had 382 points, 302 kills and a kills-per-set percentage of 2.56.
“The team was not very senior-heavy last year, so we didn’t lose many starters, and we are not very senior-heavy again,” said Hampton-Keith. “We are a pretty young team and most of our starters are in our junior class, which is nice because there will be some continuity from last year. You will see most of the same people out on the floor that you did last season but with some infusion of new faces.”
One of the new faces you will see is freshman middle blocker Lauryn Terry from Columbia, Maryland. She came NC State for both academics and to help rebuild and make history with the Wolfpack. Terry spent a lot of her summer in Raleigh with the team for preseason workouts.
“We have definitely become closer in the preseason,” Terry said. “We have a lot of potential this season. We are going to make some differences, get some more wins, and I really like being here at NC State.”
Another newcomer is freshman libero Grace Irvin from nearby Raleigh Charter High School. She was raised a State fan and is excited to get to play close to home. She committed her sophomore year and even with the change in coach, she was still excited to attend NC State.
“The coaching change happened my senior year,” Irvin said. “Coach Linda called me and just right off the bat I loved her.”
Besides a new coach and some new faces, the big news for volleyball this year is the grand reopening of historic Reynolds Coliseum. All last season, the team had to play either in Carmichael Gym or in the gym of Broughton High School.
“We are counting down the minutes till we can get in [Reynolds], but as exciting as it is, we have to make sure that we take it bit by bit,” Hampton-Keith said. “It is so exciting and so beautiful, and it is amazing to play in such a state-of-the-art facility. But, as exciting and beautiful as it is, at the end of the day, the game is still the same on the floor, so we still have to play some great volleyball.”
Friday, the team plays its first game against Northwestern State at the TCU Tournament in Fort Worth, Texas, and State is predicted to do fairly well.
“We will control what we can control and do everything we can to be ready on day one,” Hampton-Keith said. “We have an incredibly tough schedule by design and so we’re excited and nervous but that’s OK. We are going to go out there and be the best team we can be because at the end of the day, to get to the tournament, we need to play those teams that have been there.”
The Pack’s first home game is Friday, Sept. 9 at Reynolds Coliseum against the University of Delaware.
