Wake Forest University
NC Central
Volleyball to Open 2022 Season with Hosted Weekend Invitational
8/25/2022 3:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Action returns to Varsity Arena this week!
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest volleyball starts up the 2022 fall campaign on its own hardwood this week, bringing in a trio of opponents for match play in the Demon Deacons' hosted fall invitational, held Aug. 26-27.
NC Central, Western Carolina, and Kennesaw State will all partake in the weekend event.
Wake Forest opens with a Friday matchup against the NC Central Eagles at 7 p.m. On Saturday, a pair of matches, versus Western Carolina and Kennesaw State, respectively, round out the Deacs' two days. Three additional neutral contests will also take place between the visiting squads.
Coming off of its best winning season since 2010, Wake Forest has a strong mix of veteran players and new faces within the 16-member roster. Seven Deacs will don the Black and Old Gold for the first time this week, while nine are back as returners.
The invitational is the first of three such events that Wake Forest will participate in during non-conference play. Upcoming trips to Texas State and UNC Charlotte for tournament action are also scheduled.
Tournament Schedule
Friday, Aug. 26
Kennesaw State vs. Western Carolina - 4:30 p.m.
Wake Forest vs. NC Central - 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 27
Kennesaw State vs. NC Central - 10 a.m.
Wake Forest vs. Western Carolina - 12 p.m.
Western Carolina vs. NC Central - 4:30 p.m.
Wake Forest vs. Kennesaw State - 7 p.m.
Food and Fun
Wake Forest Athletics is also excited to announce the addition of concessions at the Demon Deacons home volleyball matches in Reynolds Gymnasium. Items include, but are not limited to, popcorn, candy, fountain drinks, and ice cream novelties. Cash, credit, and debit will all be accepted. Need to know how to get to our matches inside 𝙍𝙚𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙨 𝙂𝙮𝙢𝙣𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙪𝙢?
AD, Emma, & Emmy can help out 👍#GoDeacs 🎩🏐 pic.twitter.com/bZGPwEkhBW
Welcome Back, Deacs!
Wrapping the first week of classes, Wake Forest students will have the opportunity to earn 200 Screamin' Demons Rewards (SDR) bonus points by attending all three of the Deacons' matches this weekend.
Meet the Crew
Wake Forest's returning core is led by an upperclassmen duo of Andrea Fuentes and Peyton Suess. Returning for her second year in Winston-Salem, Fuentes acted as the team's primary setter a season ago, starting in all 29 matches. The graduate student brought an immediate impact to the floor, holding a 10.15 assists-per-set average that stood fourth-best in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Being the lone four-year member within the program, Suess brings a wealth of experience as a reliable hitter. In 2021, she finished fifth on the team in total kills (150).
Emmy Ogogor joins the Deacs as a new face from West Virginia University, where she was a top-five player on the team in kills (115) and blocks (58.0). The springy senior comes in as another option within Wake Forest's attacking game.
Seven players make up a heavy junior class – Kylie Adams, Annabelle Daly, Audrey Douglas, Olivia Franke, Megan Merril, Ashley Slater, and Lauren Strain. Through her first two seasons, Slater has finished second in kills for the Deacs. Daly and Merril return as defensive specialists, while Adams adds depth to the setter spot. Douglas, Franke, and Strain all compose a trio of middle blockers. A transfer from Northern Colorado, Strain was voted as a co-captain.
Sophomores Kendall Phillips and Kalani Whillock both look to continue building off their freshmen campaigns. Whillock played a key role a year ago, tying for the conference lead in digs-per-set (4.19). The Keller, Texas native was named as a co-captain with Strain. During her first year, Phillips recorded an .886 reception percentage while appearing in 20 of the 29 total matches.
Four freshmen have joined the program – Rian Baker, Paige Crawford, Emma Farrell, and Olivia Murphy. The group stands as Wake Forest's highest ranked recruiting class in program history. Farrell and Baker earned spots in the 2022 Prep Volleyball Top 150 & Senior Aces list, landing at No. 43 and No. 131, respectively. Murphy also earned a Senior Ace Special mention honor. Additionally, Farrell was named to the 2022 Junior Volleyball Association (JVA) All-National Team.
Series History
Versus NC Central
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Series: Wake Forest leads 7-0
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Last Meeting: Aug. 30, 2019
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Result: W, 3-0
Versus Western Carolina
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Series: Wake Forest leads 11-9
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Last Meeting: Sept. 20, 2014
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Result: W, 3-1
Saturday's match will be the first-ever meeting between Wake Forest and Kennesaw State.
Scouting the Opposition
NC Central went 11-14 overall a season ago, making a semifinal appearance in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament. Redshirt junior Lauren Janok returns after being named the conference's Setter of the Year and an All-MEAC first team selection in 2021. Janok also led the Eagles in service aces and was second in digs last year. Alyssa Pieh competed as a top-five player in assists, digs, and service aces among team individuals. Abby Vacha is NC Central's top returner in kills, having landed 131 of those as a redshirt sophomore. The Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the MEAC preseason poll.
Coming off an 11-17 clip in 2021, Western Carolina was recently one of three Southern Conference (SoCon) programs to put two players on the preseason all-conference team. Junior Destinee Dorsey and fifth-year senior Merry Gebel landed such honors. Dorsey, a former SoCon Libero of the Year honoree, paced the SoCon with a 5.10 digs per set average as a sophomore to put her 23rd nationally. Gebel, a second-team selection last fall, led the Catamounts with 17 double-doubles in 2021 and ranked fourth in the SoCon with 3.53 kills per set. Western Carolina was tabbed fifth in the conference's preseason poll.
Led by a strong senior class, Kennesaw State was selected to finish third in the ASUN Conference's Preseason Coaches Poll after making a run to the conference championship semifinals a year ago. The Owls reached the 20-plus win plateau in 2021 and pieced a 13-3 record against ASUN foes. The team has won 20-plus matchups in four consecutive seasons, excluding the shortened 2020 campaign. Senior right side Emma Schurfranz made her way onto the 2022 ASUN Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team. A two-time ASUN All-Conference selection, including a first team nod in 2021, Schurfranz led Kennesaw State a year ago in total kills with 363 (fifth in ASUN). Her .283 hitting percentage ranked ninth among league leaders last season.
Up Next
Following its invitational, Wake Forest will travel to nearby Chapel Hill for a neutral site contest against Arizona on Sept. 2.
