Wake Forest University
Davidson
Wake Forest to Take On In-State Foes at Charlotte
9/15/2022 10:50:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Matchups against Davidson and the 49ers make up the Deacs’ week.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Currently in the midst of its ongoing road stretch, Wake Forest volleyball returns to in-state competition this weekend, heading to Charlotte's campus for matches against Davidson (Sept. 16) and the host 49ers (Sept. 17).
Live stats will be available for both contests, while the match versus Charlotte will also be broadcasted on ESPN +.
The Demon Deacons currently sit at 6-3 overall, most recently coming off of their first out-of-state season trip to the 2022 Bobcat Invitational, where they finished 2-1 over two days of play.
Wake Forest has won three of the last four all-time meetings over Davidson and four of the last five against Charlotte.
The Matches
Friday, Sept. 16 – Wake Forest vs. Davidson – 6 p.m. ET
Saturday, Sept. 17 – Wake Forest vs. Charlotte – 5 p.m. ET
Last Time Out
This past weekend saw Wake Forest compete in the 2022 Bobcat Invitational, held on the campus of Texas State University:
Match 1 – Wake Forest 3, Sam Houston 0
Matched up against a testy Bearkat group, Wake Forest opened Saturday morning (Sept. 10) with a poised 3-0 sweep over Sam Houston State (25-20, 25-14, 27-25).
As a team, Wake Forest handed out a season-best 11 service aces.
Playing near her hometown, Paige Crawford shined with 10 kills, four digs, and a new career high of four service aces. Senior hitter Peyton Suess added 10 kills of her own.
Andrea Fuentes stood out in her return to the hardwood, finishing with 34 assists, eight digs, and two service aces.
Audrey Douglas, Olivia Franke, and Emmy Ogogor plugged in seven kills apiece. Douglas had another efficient performance from the floor, going 7-of-14 in attacks with only one error (.429). Ogogor added three total blocks for the fourth time in five matches.
Emma Farrell led all individuals on the defensive side with 20 digs. Megan Merril posted 11 digs and three service aces.
Match 2 – Wake Forest 3, Ole Miss 1
Returning to the floor on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 10) in a short turnaround, Wake Forest locked in as a unit during its afternoon tilt against Ole Miss. After dropping the opening set, the Demon Deacons stormed back through rallies to secure a 3-1 victory (16-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-16).
The win was Wake Forest's second over an SEC foe in a week.
Ashley Slater led the way on an exceptional performance of 12 kills and a .360 hitting clip. Paige Crawford had an all-around showing of 11 kills, nine digs, and three service aces.
Emmy Ogogor chipped in eight kills while Olivia Franke registered five of her own, along with assisting on four blocks.
Andrea Fuentes and Rian Baker dished out 23 and 14 assists, respectively. Emma Farrell paced the Deacs' defense with 11 digs.
Wake Forest went for a new season high in total blocks as a group (13).
Match 3 – Texas State 3, Wake Forest 0
Finishing its weekend stay in San Marcos, Wake Forest stepped into day two of the 2022 Bobcat Invitational on Sunday (Sept. 11), facing the host team, Texas State. The end result went to the Bobcats' favor, as the Demon Deacons fell, 3-0 (17-25, 17-25, 17-25).
Paige Crawford and Ashley Slater registered nine and eight kills, respectively. Rian Baker tallied 16 assists while Andrea Fuentes added 13. Olivia Franke went 4-of-7 on attacks (.429).
On defense, Emma Farrell finished with a team-best 13 digs. Additionally, the first-year handed out two service aces. Wake Forest held the edge in that such category over Texas State (6-3).
Farrell and Slater were named to the Bobcat Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Still Shining
Through the season's first three weeks, first-year libero Emma Farrell remains at the top of the ACC individual leader board in digs-per-set average (4.97). Nationally, the Norcross, Georgia, native ranks second among all NCAA freshmen within that same category. On the serving end, Farrell's 16 service aces stand as a third-best mark in the conference and are the most by a first-year player.
A fellow freshman, Paige Crawford, currently is the only such player in her class to rank in the conference's 'kills-per-set top ten' (3.33). The pin hitter has recorded double-digit kills in four of her first six appearances while leading Wake Forest during three of those outings.
Series History
Versus Davidson
Series: Wake Forest leads, 8-2
Last Meeting: Sept. 17, 2021
Result: W, 3-0
Versus Charlotte
Series: Wake Forest leads, 13-8
Last Meeting: Sept. 17, 2016
Result: W, 3-1
Scouting the Opposition
Davidson stands at 5-4 overall overall and plays Charlotte on Thursday (Sept. 15) at 7 p.m. The Wildcats hold an advantage in kills (406-379), assists (374-350), and digs (489-467) over their opponents thus far. Emma Slusser is the team leader in kills (90) while Bell Brady's 4.97 digs-per-set average ranks second in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Xuan Nguyen and Jessie Doyal sit close in total digs, with 161 and 159, respectively. Anela Davis has stood out in defending the net, steadying a 1.34 blocks-per-set average that is third-best in the conference.
The Charlotte 49ers hold a 6-4 record and rest fourth in the Conference USA standings. Emani' Foster leads the conference with 209 kills and 235.5 points. Armani McArthur is the team's most efficient hitter, striking a .406 attacking percentage that is the second highest clip among Conference USA individuals. McArthur also stands out defensively with 46 total blocks. Annika Wetterstrom has handed out 304 assists while Sophie Whalen has recorded 119 digs.
Up Next
Conference play arrives next for the Deacs, staying on the road for their first two Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) outings at Georgia Tech (Sept. 23) and Clemson (Sept. 25).
