NC State volleyball snapped a two-match losing streak as it traveled to Massachusetts to take on Boston College, earning a 3-1 victory.
After a stretch that featured four top-10 teams, the Wolfpack (12-13, 5-10 ACC) bounced back against the Eagles (16-11, 5-10 ACC) — and senior opposite hitter Courtney Bryant was a big reason why. The Wolfpack offense overwhelmed Boston College, led by Bryant with 20 kills on 43 attacks and five service aces. She also led the team in hitting percentage, finishing at .372 on the night.
Boston College tested the Wolfpack in the first set, keeping it at bay and winning the first set 25-23. The Wolfpack kept pace throughout, but the Eagles’ offense was too much for the defense late in the first set, and a service error from freshman opposite hitter Rebecca Ring sealed the win for Boston College.
Shaking off the first set, the Wolfpack jumped out to an 11-6 lead in the second after aces from senior middle blocker Lily Cropper and freshman opposite hitter Jordan Smith. The Wolfpack continued to command the entire second set, as Bryant tacked up eight kills to lead the Pack to even the match at one set apiece.
A series of errors haunted the Eagles late in the third set and allowed for the Pack to capitalize, taking a 2-1 lead. In a set that included 13 ties and six lead changes, neither team held more than a two-point lead until a 4-1 Wolfpack run ended the set 25-22.
The fourth set was tightly contested, as the Wolfpack ended up tied with the Eagles 17-17 in a pivotal moment. When NC State needed a spark, Bryant stepped up and recorded her 20th kill and pushed the lead to 18-17. Shortly after, Bryant was faced with serving and delivered an ace to stretch the Pack’s lead to 20-18. The Wolfpack finished strong, winning the set 25-19.
Ring and Smith were the other bright spots alongside Bryant. Ring rebounded well despite the error in the first set, finishing with nine kills, including a crucial one in the fourth set that put the Pack up 22-18. Smith had eight kills on 19 attacks and was an active force on defense with five blocks. The offensive production from the trio of Bryant, Smith and Ring allowed for a complete onslaught that was too much for Boston College.
The Wolfpack posted 26 attack errors on the game, but since the offense was on point, the errors were a moot point. The Wolfpack continued to dominate three straight sets despite having five more attack errors and five more service errors than the Eagles.
The Wolfpack looks to continue its momentum against Syracuse on Nov. 16, with the first serve set for 12:30 p.m.
