Wake Forest University
College of Charleston
Wake Forest Collects First Victory of 2016
9/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeVolleyball)
Final Stats - Loyola Chicago | Final Box - Loyola Chicago
Final Stats - College of Charleston | Final Box - College of Charleston
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest defeated the College of Charleston Saturday to collect its first victory of the 2016 season before falling to Loyola (Chicago) in the nightcap of the 2016 Demon Deacon Classic at LJVM Coliseum.
Wake Forest (1-3) played three cat-and-mouse sets in its first match of the day against College of Charleston (3-3). Junior Kylie Long recorded 10 kills and only two attack errors in the first set to lead the Wake Forest offense, who took the first set, 25-23. Long would record 19 total kills and end the match with a .444 hitting percentage, her best of the season.
The second set was just as evenly matched as both teams found success siding out. Neither team could gain an advantage of more than two points until a kill from Long gave the Deacs the set, 25-22. After the break, it was all Wake Forest. The Wildcats recorded eight attack errors on nine kills to total a .034 hitting percentage in the third set. The Deacs had a clean set, recording only one attack error to earn the 25-14 victory and a sweep of Davidson. Wake Forest's victory was the first for head coach Bill Ferguson, who is in his first season at the helm of the Demon Deacons.
The evening match against Loyola Chicago (3-3) would prove to be a different story. Wake Forest got off to a slow start in the first set against the Ramblers, but the Deacs would not give up. Down by five, Wake Forest took eight of the next nine points to take the lead, 14-13 and they would not look back. The Deacs finished the first set 25-21 to take a 1-0 lead in the match. Long recorded nine kills in the first set and recorded a career high 24 kills in the match, previously set on Sept. 18, 2015 vs. Georgia.
The second set proved difficult for the Deacs, who recorded a .111 hitting percentage in the set and fell by a 25-20 score. After the break, the Ramblers came out hot, gaining a seven-point lead over the Deacs. Wake Forest would fight back, getting the score within one, but would ultimately drop the set, 25-22. Going into the fourth frame down 2-1, the Demon Deacons controlled the set to push the match to a fifth and deciding set. The team recorded 16 kills in the set and were able to find their stride behind a strong serving effort from Rachel Burau. Back-to-back attack errors from Loyola sealed the set, 25-19, in favor of the Deacs. The fifth set was rough for the Deacs, who recorded seven errors on eight attack attempts and dropped the set 15-10 and the match 3-2.
Kylie Long and senior Hanna Lee were named to the All-Tournament team for the Deacs.
Wake Forest heads to Statesboro, Georgia, Sept. 9-10 for the SpringHill Suites Invitational. The Demon Deacons will face South Carolina and Georgia Southern at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., respectively, on Friday and Buffalo at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
2016 Demon Deacon Classic All-Tournament Team
Kylie Long (Wake Forest)
Hanna Lee (Wake Forest)
Morgan Reardon (Loyola Chicago)
Gabi Maciagowski (Loyola Chicago)
Maddy Moser (Loyola Chicago)
Krissy Mummey (College of Charleston)
Lauren Freed (College of Charleston)
Mason Rooney (Davidson)
