Wake Forest Athletics
Volleyball Opens 2017 Season in Spartan-Demon Deacon Classic
8/24/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeVolleyball)
| Gameday Central | Wake Forest vs. Morgan State, UMass Lowell, and UNCG | |
| Match 1 | Wake Forest vs. Morgan State - Friday, Aug. 25, 4:30 p.m. |
| Coverage | Live Stats |
| Match 2 | Wake Forest vs. UMass Lowell - Saturday, Aug. 26, 10:30 a.m. |
| Coverage | Live Stats |
| Match 3 | Wake Forest at UNCG - Saturday, Aug. 26, 7:30 p.m. |
| Coverage | ESPN3 | Live Stats |
| Location | Greensboro, N.C. (Fleming Gymnasium) Facility Info | |
| Information | Match Notes | @WakeVolleyball  |
The Matchups:
- Wake Forest will open its 2017 season this weekend at the Spartan-Demon Deacon Classic in Greensboro, N.C.
- The Deacs will take on Morgan State Friday, Aug. 25 at 4:30 p.m., before playing two more matches on Saturday. At 10:30 a.m., the team faces off against UMass-Lowell. Wake Forest concludes the tournament Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. with a true road match at UNCG.
Wake Forest Storylines:
- The Deacs look for continued improvement under the direction of second year head coach Bill Ferguson.
- The team returns 10 of the 12 players who appeared in a match in 2016. - Wake Forest is led by seniors Kylie Long and Caroline Wolf. Long was named to the Preseason All-ACC Team. The outside hitter led the team last season in kills (447), kills per set (3.63), and total attacks (1302). o Wolf led the team last season with 512 digs. For her career, she ranks third in program history with 1,592 career digs.
Scouting the Opponents:
- Morgan State finished 2016 at just 7-21 overall, but they did hold a 7-5 record in the MEAC. The Lady Bears were picked third in the MEAC preseason poll.
- UMass-Lowell struggled to a 6-22 record, to go along with a 1-11 conference mark in 2016. The River Hawks are entering just their fifth season in Division I play and their first as a postseason eligible team.
- UNCG delivered an 18-13 overall record, with a solid 11-5 mark in the Southern Conference in 2016, good for a second-place finish in the league. This season, the Spartans have been pegged for another second place finish in the SoCon. Outside hitter Ashley Muench, setter Allison Penner, and defensive specialist Christina Gregory all earned preseason all-conference honors.
Looking Ahead:
- The Deacs will take a trip to Boulder, Colo. For the Omni Hotels Tournament.
- Once again, the Deacs will play three matches, starting Friday, Sept. 1 at 12 p.m. ET. against Rice. In their second match of the day, the team will take on Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. ET.
- Wake Forest will conclude the tournament by battling Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 3 p.m. ET.
