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BLACKSBURG, Va. – After five consecutive road matches to open the ACC season, the Virginia Tech volleyball squad returned to Cassell Coliseum and won in emphatic fashion on Friday night, defeating NC State 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-21) in Blacksburg, Va.
“It feels great to get back playing in front of our fans,” Tech head coach Chris Riley said. “What great energy they bring. We have lost some tough matches on the road, and the difference is this crowd. When we have it, we are such a better team. We missed it and we are so happy to be home.”
Fifteen different players saw action in the match for Tech (12-5, 2-4 ACC), with 10 different Hokies recording at least one kill. Sophomore Justine Record led Tech with 10 kills and 11 digs for her third double-double on the season, while freshman Cara Baarendse added eight kills on a .545 hitting percentage. Sophomore Erin Leaser and senior Michelle Lang both registered double-digit assist nights, totaling 26 and 10 assists, respectively.
The Hokies started out inconsistently in the opening set, racing out to a 3-0 lead before allowing six straight points to the Wolfpack (7-13, 0-5 ACC), to find themselves down 6-3. Tech battled back to even the set at 9-9, and exploded from there, setting out on a 10-3 run to pull ahead 19-12. The Hokies carried the lead the rest of the way, winning the first stanza, 25-17.
The two squads went back and forth again early in the second set, before the Hokies extended out to a five-point advantage at 11-6. The Wolfpack cut the lead to 13-11, but could get no closer as Tech went on a 12-2 streak to close out the second period, 25-14.
Riley subbed in several young players and reserves in the third set, where they gained valuable experience. Again the Hokies pressed out to an 11-6 advantage, and carried the cushion all the way to 16-9. NC State proved resilient though, fighting back to even the frame at 20 apiece. A quick 4-0 run, helped Tech regain control of the set, and a kill from freshman Jennifer Wiker shut the door on the Wolfpack in the set, 25-21, and the match, 3-0.
“It is great [to get reserves into the match] because we are going to need them,” Riley said. “We are going to have to count on them. There is going to be a time when they all have to go in and play and perform under pressure in the ACC. So we need them to get as acclimated as they can.”
Tech hit .294 in the match and limited the Wolfpack to a .118 clip. The Hokies also blocked five attacks, while NC State stuffed nine in the contest. Tech hit .306 and .365 in the first and second sets, respectively.
The Hokies return to Cassell Coliseum tomorrow night against North Carolina at 7 p.m. Results will be available on hokiesports.com.
For updates on Virginia Tech volleyball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_VBall).
