File photo by Ryan Parry
N.C. State volleyball head coach Bryan Bunn talks to his team during a timeout against Appalachian State Friday, September 6, 2013. The Wolfpack defeated the Mountaineers 3-0 and won the Courtyard Midtown Classic at Reynolds Coliseum.
The 2013 campaign was one of hard work and success for the N.C. State volleyball team, yet the season’s end left something to be desired. However, with only three players having departed from the past season’s roster and seven new faces coming to Raleigh in the fall, the Wolfpack’s future is looking brighter than ever.
The 2014 recruiting class includes six freshmen and one transfer student. Middle backers Kaitlyn Kearney and Erica Narel and outside hitter Perry Ramsey, all freshmen, signed with the Pack in November. Freshmen defensive specialist Emily Harris and outside hitter Julie Brown joined soon after the 2013 season, while junior middle blocker T’Asia Black and freshman outside hitter Julie Varga each signed as late as April.
The biggest loss for State during the offseason was middle blocker Brie Merriwether, a four-year starter for the Wolfpack. Though senior middle blocker Alesha Wilson has shown that she can be a solid replacement for Merriwether, a nagging injury bug in Wilson and lack of depth at the position of middle blocker is an urgent problem for head coach Bryan Bunn to face during the offseason.
Kearney and Narel recently wrapped up stellar high school careers, which included three all-district selections for Kearney and three state championships for Narel. Both were also selected to participate in the 2014 Women’s Junior Volleyball National Championships earlier this month. Bunn said those experiences will help them be better prepared for a bigger role on the squad.
“It helps them a lot,” Bunn said. “It gives them more experience playing at a very high level. They get to compete against the best 18-year-olds in the country.”
Black also comes to Raleigh with valuable experience; she has played the past two season at Paris Junior College. Black was selected as an All-American and set her former school’s record for single-season blocks during her sophomore season.
Bunn said he expects the battle for the middle blocker slot to be extremely competitive this fall.
“Once they get in the gym, they’ll instantly start competing,” Bunn said. “It’s going to be a good battle.”
Along with three middle blockers, Bunn also rounded up three outside hitters on the recruiting trail. With starting hitters Rachel Buckley, Nikki Glass and Dariyan Hoppe all in their final years with the Pack, Bunn said it was necessary to have experienced players to step up after the seniors graduate.
“We expect them to compete this year,” Bunn said. “They’re coming in very athletic, and they’ve all played at a high level. The game is faster, obviously, when you get [to the college level], but we expect them to make adjustments right away and compete right away for playing time.”
The final member of the 2014 recruiting class is Harris, the lone defender of the group. Harris is a talented defender, winning Skyline’s Defensive Player of the Year both of the past two years. Harris is also very skilled at beach doubles, winning a silver medal at 2012 USA Volleyball National Open, a skill that Bunn said contributed greatly to her excellent court vision.
The Wolfpack will start formal practices on Aug. 8 in preparation for its first tournament of the season, hosted by UNC-Wilmington from Aug. 29–30.