Junior outside hitter Dariyan Hopper spikes the ball against Virginia on Friday. Hopper had 18 kills against the Cavaliers, helping the Wolfpack to a 3-2 win.Photo By Eric Engstrom
In its final match of the season, N.C. State (20-12, 11-9 ACC) dropped its fifth straight match, falling to Wake Forest (16-16, 5-15 ACC) in five sets (25-17, 20-25, 15-25, 25-20, 14-16).
“We had our opportunities, and we didn’t take advantage of them,” head coach Bryan Bunn said. “We made a lot of bad choices, and that’s what cost us the match.”
Junior outside hitter Rachel Buckley led the Pack’s offense with 14 kills. Junior outside hitter Nikki Glass, junior middle blocker Alesha Wilson and freshman outside hitter Eve Davis each notched 10 kills against the Demon Deacons.
“Buckley stepped up as a leader for us,” sophomore setter Tanna Aljoe said. “She always has, and she was a huge part of our offense.”
Glass and Aljoe each recorded double-doubles against the Demon Deacons. Aljoe added a team-leading 42 assists while recording 11 digs for her eighth double-double of the season, while Glass racked up 13 digs.
Aljoe said the Wolfpack fought hard to try and pull out the win.
“It was such a fight among everybody,” Aljoe said. “We all wanted it really badly because we knew it was going to be our last game.”
State played without junior outside hitter Dariyan Hopper. Hopper, who led the team with 335 kills entering the contest, was sidelined with a boot on her left foot.
“We missed some kills on the outside, but Eve [Davis] came in and did a good job,” Bunn said. “That’s sports for you. There are injuries, and you have to deal with them despite the circumstances.”
The Pack held an early advantage, starting the match on a 5-2 run. State continued to inch ahead, but the Deacs attempted to stage a rally with two different 3-0 runs. However, the Pack held on, ending the opening set on a 5-2 run as it took the eight-point win.
Wake took control early in the second set with an 8-5 lead, but State answered back with three straight points before the teams traded points. With the score tied at 18 apiece, the Deacs’ offense ignited with a 7-2 run to close out the set with a five-point advantage.
Wake’s momentum carried over into the third set as the Deacs opened with a 4-1 run. The Pack managed to tie the score three times, but Wake powered ahead with a 13-4 run that cemented its advantage, winning the final three points of the set to close out a dominating period of play.
“We lacked leadership on the court,” Buckley said. “We needed somebody that could step up and bring us together after each point. We didn’t have that in that set, but we found each other in the next set.”
On the brink of defeat, State kept close with the Deacs early in the fourth set. The Pack created separation with an 8-2 run and maintained the lead for the rest of the set. Wake attempted to stage a late rally, cutting the Pack’s lead to three, but State ended the set by winning four of the last six points, taking the five-point win to keep the match alive.
“They lost the third set, but they came back and won that fourth set,” Bunn said. “Had we played with that energy the entire time, that situation wouldn’t have happened.”
The Deacs flexed their muscles with a 6-1 run to start the decisive final set, but the Pack answered with three points in a row to narrow the deficit. The teams traded points until Wake reached match point on a 5-1 run. Following its final timeout of the set, State rallied and won the next four points to tie the score, but Wake clinched the match by winning the next two points in succession to close out the Wolfpack for good.