NC State volleyball extended its home winning streak against Clemson to 11 games with a 3-1 victory over the Tigers that showed off the Wolfpack’s emerging defensive prowess.
“Staying dialed in and staying composed … We did a good job of that,” said head coach Megan Wargo-Kearney.
The Wolfpack (10-7, 3-4 ACC) picked up its third conference win behind balanced offensive and defensive efforts. Five NC State players had double-digit digs, while senior outside hitter Courtney Bryant and senior middle blocker Lily Cropper led the team with 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Clemson (12-7, 0-7 ACC) couldn’t find its way to a win despite taking an opening set where NC State looked a little lost on the court.
“We made a lot of errors in that first set,” Wargo-Kearney said. “A lot of things on us, missed some tips, missed some serves, all little things.”
A hot start in the second set helped the Wolfpack even the score with a dominant 25-12 win that took the Tigers out of rhythm for the rest of the game and fueled NC State’s comeback victory.
“We’ve been talking all season about starting off stronger,” said redshirt junior setter Elaisa Villar. “In the second, third and fourth set, we did that and we won.”
Miscues and miscommunications plagued the Tigers for the rest of the game. A high ball landed unchallenged between three Clemson players in the second set, a microcosm of their coordination issues.
In comparison, the Wolfpack looked in-sync during the three sets it won, a testament to the team’s chemistry.
“We hang out all the time … that helps us trust each other and lets us play better,” Villar said.
Chemistry carried the Wolfpack through the third set, where the team held a lead from start to finish. Although NC State didn’t come out to the same hot start as in the second set, two late 4-0 runs helped the team pull away and seal the set 25-17.
All throughout the game, Clemson favored a diverse, varied attack that threw a lot of different looks at the Wolfpack.
“They run a lot of different routes and do things in different orders,” said Wargo-Kearney.
NC State had no trouble with the Tigers’ scheme, holding Clemson to 39 kills in the game and only five in the tone-setting second set.
“We knew they were gonna give us a lot of tough shots,” Villar said. “I was defending them pretty well.”
Villar led the team’s defensive effort, putting a team-high 15 digs on the box score on top of 30 assists . With the Wolfpack leading 22-17 in the final set, she caught a cramp in her leg and limped back to the service area.
“I thought I should maybe get an ace or two so I don’t have to set the ball after,” Villar said.
Instead, she came up with a huge dig that helped put the Wolfpack onto set and game point, where a kill by Cropper earned the red-and-white a second conference win in a row.
The Wolfpack donned pink-and-white outfits against Clemson for breast cancer awareness, and its statement 3-1 win gave special attention to the cause.
“We talked all week about playing for things bigger than ourselves,” said Wargo-Kearney. “I think a lot of us have people that have been affected by breast cancer. Some of us, very personally.”
The Wolfpack will play for another cause on Oct. 19, taking the home court in Reynolds Coliseum against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets for its military appreciation game. First service is set for 1 p.m.
