Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Sports Xtra: Breaking Through
11/4/2022 8:36:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Paige Crawford is another young face for Wake Forest volleyball who has been exceptional this fall.
A native of Wimberley, Texas, Paige Crawford started playing volleyball in fifth grade and realized quickly that she needed to move to a more competitive environment to bring out her best.
"I realized that was what I wanted to pursue, so I transferred to San Antonio Juniors, which was a bit of a commute, but 100 percent worth it," Crawford recounts. "I was able to play with talented players and travel, which is how you get recruited in volleyball. I got to go to out-of-state tournaments where the coaches were."
It was in a tournament in Austin, Texas where Crawford was discovered by the Wake Forest Volleyball coaching staff.
"They were there on a scouting visit and saw me play," Crawford said. "They reached out. I knew from my first phone call with them that I wanted to go to Wake Forest. I hadn't even seen the campus yet. I just knew from talking to the coaches and the goals for the program that this is where I needed to be."
She committed to coach Randi Smart and the staff before even stepping foot on campus, although the eventual visit just solidified her instincts.
"I liked it being a smaller campus and how everyone is close to each other," Crawford said. "That's the vibe I got from Zoom and phone calls, so seeing it in person I was able to match it up to what I had visualized."
Crawford's emergence as a freshman has been vital for the Deacs, as they have started making waves in the ACC, grabbing a pair of home victories over Big Four opponents in early October. Additionally, the outside hitter has earned back-to-back ACC Freshman of the Week awards.
"Paige had a breakthrough weekend in our second home weekend of conference play," Smart said. "She's been doing some really nice things every match since she's been here. We have started to see her grow into her own. A lot of balls are going to be served at her because she's a freshman and because of the position she plays.
"Paige handled the recognition well. If you earn ACC Freshman of the Week, you know you're doing great. Her maturity, ability to bounce back and grit all stand out — she's just learning how to be Paige in a college setting. It's so much fun to watch."
The Deacs were able to grab wins over UNC and NC State in front of packed crowds at Reynolds Gymnasium.
"The only word that comes to mind is awesome, and it was incredible the amount of support we received while winning those matches," Crawford said. "I felt there was a great connection with the team and the fans. It was awesome to come out with two wins on a weekend, especially against in-state rivals.
"It proves we can beat anyone at this point. We need to take what we accomplished then and apply it to the next few weekends. We know we can achieve and what we need to do to get there. If we just come out and execute our gameplan, we can beat anyone."
With a wealth of young talent, the Deacs have now brought home three ACC Freshman of the Week Awards, with Crawford's roommate, Emma Farrell, earning the honor earlier this season.
"It's definitely an honor and I'm grateful to receive that award," Crawford said. "There's a lot of great volleyball players in the conference. I'm proud that I was able to win.
"My teammates have helped me get there. There's not one person on our team who is taking over every single game. That's the hard thing in playing us — everyone can contribute, it's not just one player. That opens up the room for us to succeed because they don't know where the ball is going. We have so many weapons."
With a diverse mix of returning players, key transfers and a star-studded freshman class; the time over the summer working together both on and off the volleyball court was crucial for the Demon Deacons.
"The summer was a very important time for us," Crawford said. "We all lived together in one dorm, so we were able to become close and build great relationships. As a freshman, it was great for me to get to know everybody before the season even started. Then, we ran a lot of our own practices during the summer. It was a very important time for us in building connections and getting to know each other.
"We have a lot of new players on the team and several younger people. But there's also some leadership here. So it's great to have the upperclassmen help lead us through it. Now we can take that information and lead in our own way as well."
The success this season hasn't surprised Crawford, but she also realizes it's just the start of what's to come.
"From the get-go, when Coach Smart was recruiting us as newcomers, she wanted us to come in and make a difference to help build the program," Crawford explained. "That's still very much what she wants to do and we're told that every day. She shares the goals and expectations. She only wants the best for the team and the program. It's awesome to play under Coach Smart. I really love it.
"The journey we're having this year will only help us in years to come, as we bring even more talented players to play with us."
