Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University
Morgan State
Volleyball Prevails in Season Opener
8/25/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeVolleyball)
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Wake Forest volleyball team cruised to a 3-0 victory over Morgan State in their season opener in Greensboro.
The Deacs (1-0) jumped out to an early lead in the first set and never looked back, winning the first two sets by double digits, before outlasting the Bears (0-1) in the third and final set.
"I like that we were able to take care of it in three," head coach Bill Ferguson said. "We served really tough. We had a long streak in both the first and second sets, which gave us a lot more room to operate."
Both senior Kylie Long and freshman Caroline Kuhn tallied a .429 hitting percentage, good for tops on the team. Long led the team in kills and digs, with 11 of each. Another freshman, Madeline Holt, tallied 25 of the team's 28 assists.
Wake Forest held a 12-6 lead in the first set, before winning seven straight points to take a 19-6 lead and grab control of the set. The Deacs enjoyed a solid .381 hitting percentage in the set. They also played outstanding defense, holding Morgan State to a -.150 hitting percentage.
The second set was more of the same for the Demon Deacons. After the Bears cut the Deacs lead to 7-6 early in the set, the Deacs took the next four points to reestablish control. Holding a 19-13 lead, the team won seven of the next eight points to take the set, 25-14. Long, a Preseason All-ACC honoree, added five more kills, while sophomore Caroline Rassenfoss delivered four service aces.
Morgan State battled in the third, taking their first lead of the match. However, the Deacs eventually overtook them and claimed the match with a 25-22 win. Long continued her outstanding play, delivering three kills to go along with seven digs in the third and final set.
For the match, Wake Forest outhit Morgan State .229 to .049. The team also contributed 14 block assists compared to just six for the Bears. The Deacs also held an 8-2 advantage in service aces, led by Rassenfoss, who contributed five.
Up next, the Deacs continue play in the Spartan-Demon Deacon Classic with two matches tomorrow. First, they take on UMass Lowell at 10:30 a.m. Then, in the nightcap, they face a true road test against UNCG at 7:30 p.m.
