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BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech volleyball team is set to host NC State and No. 13 North Carolina this weekend beginning with the Wolfpack on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. Tech will host UNC on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. The match against the Tar Heels marks the Hokies’ annual Pink Match for breast cancer awareness.

v. NC State (14-4, 5-1 ACC)
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v. #13 North Carolina (16-1, 5-1 ACC)
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Match Notes

The Hokies
- Tech claimed a pair of wins last weekend at home. The Hokies defeated Boston College, 3-0 and followed that up with a 3-1 win over Syracuse.
- Kennedy Bryan recorded 14 kills against BC and tallied 16 versus the Orange. Victoria Hamsher also posted 14 against the Eagles and added 11 against Syracuse. LaTasha Samson-Akpan chipped in 10 kills against the Orange.
- Lindsey Owens is averaging 3.08 kps while Samantha Gostling is posting 2.94 kps. Hamsher ranks second in the ACC in attack percentage at .417 and Caine clocks in at third with .362. Jordan Fish is notching 11.14 assists per set to rank third in the league and 27th in the NCAA.
- Owens has also been strong for the Hokies on the serve, averaging 0.51 aces per set to top the ACC and rank 10th in the nation.
- On the defensive side, LaTasha Samson-Akpan is tallying 1.28 blocks per set, ranking fourth in the ACC. Megan Beckwith is averaging 4.07 digs per set, good for 10th in the league.
- The Hokies sit atop the ACC and are 15th in the NCAA in team attack percentage at .278.

Scouting the Wolfpack
- NC State defeated Wake Forest (3-0) and Duke (3-1) last weekend.
- Dariyan Hopper led the Pack with 18 kills against Duke and also had the team-high versus Wake with 16.
- Hopper leads the Wolfpack on the season, averaging 3.47 kills per set. Alesha Wilson is adding 2.64 kps. Tanna Aljoe is putting up 10.30 assists per set.
- On the defensive side, Brie Merriwether and Wilson are averaging 1.26 and 1.08 blocks per set, respectively. Merriwether ranks fifth in the league. Alston Kearns is notching 4.41 digs per set to rank fourth in the ACC.

The Series
- Virginia Tech holds a 17-10 all-time lead in the series, but have fallen in the previous two meetings, including most recently a 3-2 loss last season in Raleigh. NC State also claimed the 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 25-22) victory on Oct. 12, 2012 in Cassell Coliseum.
- Caine had 13 kills for the Hokies while Gostling tallied 12 at Cassell. Wilson knocked down 19 and Hopper had 14 for the Wolfpack.

Scouting the Tar Heels
- UNC split decisions last weekend, falling to Duke 3-0 before defeating Wake Forest, 3-0.
- Jovana Bjelica led the Tar Heels in both matches with 10 against Duke and 16 versus Wake Forest. Lauren Adkins also hit in double-digits against the Deacs with 12 kills.
- Bjelica leads the Heels with 3.39 kills per set while Kayla Berringer is adding 2.48 kps. Jordyn Schnable and Abigail Curry split time in the setter spot with 7.22 and 4.98 aps, respectively.
- Defensively, four players are averaging over one block per set with Victoria McPherson leading with 1.28 bps to rank third in the ACC. Haley McCorkle is tallying 1.22 bps. Ece Taner is notching 4.20 dps.

The Series
- North Carolina holds the edge in the all-time series at 19-5, and won both meetings last season with scores of 3-0. The Tar Heels picked up the 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-14) win at Cassell on Oct. 14, 2012.
- Gostling and former Tech player Jennifer Wiker each had 10 kills in the match in Blacksburg last season. Adkins posted a match-high 15 for the Tar Heels.

For updates on Virginia Tech volleyball, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_VBall).