While the football team takes on rival East Carolina on home turf this weekend, the N.C. State volleyball team is traveling down to Greenville for the East Carolina Tournament. Today, the Wolfpack faces Morgan State, followed by an early match on Saturday against Marshall before rounding out play against East Carolina in the evening.
Last weekend, State took two wins on their home court to bring their overall record to 4-8, surpassing last year’s win total of 3. The team made it evident in their hitting, blocking and overall teamwork that there are good things to come, and coach Charita Stubbs knows just how important the recent wins are to her team.
“Success is always good,” Stubbs said. “It really helps build up the team’s confidence, especially as the season is really getting underway. We really want to build on last weekend’s results.”
In preparation for the tournament, the team has been working on making the outside hitter a greater threat on the attack by being in position to hit and putting the ball down. Players have also been sitting down with the coaching staff and individually reviewing films. Coach Stubbs is already seeing results from the work they have put in this week.
“They’re seeing the same thing over and over again to help make adjustments,” Stubbs said. “The players have really embraced the process and have grown a lot as players just this week alone.”
While the Pack’s game has shown improvement since they last played in Reynolds in 2007, there is still a need for focus and change.
“We’re working on decreasing unforced errors. We have the athleticism, it’s definitely there – they can do the various shots. We’ve just got to be more consistent,” Stubbs said.
Stubbs and her coaching staff have been preparing the team for their opponents. “We haven’t talked specifics of each team, but I’ve incorporated some elements into practice without the girls knowing it. We’re not the type of team to overlook any opponent.”
The Pack is 38-4 against the Pirates. In their last meeting, State fell to ECU at home in four games. Although there is the underlying rivalry against ECU, Stubbs isn’t placing the focus on one specific contest.
“Our last match is against ECU, but we’re still taking things one match at a time,” Stubbs said. “It’s a great tournament to prepare us for heading into ACC play next week.”
