Wake Forest University
8-4,0-1ACC
Georgia Tech
8-2,1-0ACC
Deacs Fall in Three to Georgia Tech in ACC Opener
9/23/2022 10:07:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Kalani Whillock finished the night with a new career achievement.
ATLANTA, Ga. – Stepping into an atmosphere consisting of roaring noise and a sold-out crowd, Wake Forest volleyball (8-4, 0-1) began its 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) slate with a visit to Georgia Tech (8-2, 1-0) on Friday evening (Sept. 23). The host team ultimately defeated the Demon Deacons on a 3-0 clip (17-25, 11-25, 15-25).
Friday's contest was the first conference outing for both teams.
For the third time in as many weeks, Wake Forest had an individual reach a personal milestone. Sophomore Kalani Whillock recorded the 500th dig of her young career, doing so in the match's third set. The Keller, Texas native achieved the feat through a total of 39 career matches. Whillock currently sits second on the roster in digs (68).
Paige Crawford led the Deacs with seven kills. Joining her on the hitting end were Olivia Franke, Olivia Murphy, and Ashley Slater, each picking up four kills.
Andrea Fuentes was close to securing a double-double, finishing with 19 assists and eight digs.
Back near her hometown and playing as a crowd favorite, Emma Farrell tallied 11 digs.
How it Happened
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An assisted block between Olivia Franke and Audrey Douglas firstly put Wake Forest on the scoreboard in the night's opening set.
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After subbing in, Ashley Slater soon followed with back-to-back kills on powerful attacks.
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Georgia Tech scored three in a row, and Wake Forest called its first timeout of the evening.
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The Deacs trailed 9-4 in set one at the time.
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Wake Forest registered points on five of its next six tries.
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A kill by Franke cut the Yellow Jackets' lead to 13-12.
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Between some back-and-forth action, Paige Crawford acted as a spark in helping her Deacons stay close, going for high swings and lacing a service ace.
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Kalani Whillock also delivered an ace during the span.
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The Yellow Jackets capitalized off of two Deacon errors before landing two kills in a row to mount four consecutive points.
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Georgia Tech led 23-16 as the first set slowed down.
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Slater gave Wake Forest one more point in the frame by hanging in the air for a knock.
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Georgia Tech took set one, 25-17, on a final service ace.
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Opening set two, the Yellow Jackets struck first on a 4-1 start.
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Crawford kept her aggressive play going, however, giving Wake Forest points on a pair of kills.
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An early timeout saw the score sitting at 8-3 in Georgia Tech's favor.
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The Yellow Jackets then embarked on a 8-1 push.
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Franke stopped the run with a punch down the middle.
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After Georgia Tech scored on its next possession, Wake Forest called for another break on the floor, down 17-5.
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Emmy Ogogor and Crawford traded kills, with the former netting a back-to-back sequence.
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Kills by the Yellow Jackets and two Wake Forest attacking errors led to the advantage growing to 23-10.
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On the Deacs' final point scored in the period, Franke took off from the right side to wind up a swinging blow to the floor.
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In a likewise fashion to the first set, Georgia Tech won set two on a final service ace, 25-11.
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Olivia Murphy put Wake Forest on the board in set three with a long hit.
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Behind the Deacs' hitters, the team narrowly trailed, 7-6.
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Whillock notched her 500th career dig early in the frame.
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Georgia Tech soon created some comfort with a five-point advantage through the next several possessions.
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Notable hustle plays took place in the midst, creating a number of lengthy rallies.
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A timeout was taken next, with Georgia Tech hanging in front, 18-11.
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Yellow Jackets maintained a six-point distance but suffered a few errors, as Murphy continued to give Wake Forest light through her actions.
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Utilizing a final 3-0 run, Georgia Tech secured the evening on a 25-15 set-three decision.
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Wake Forest fell, 3-0.
Standout Stat
Kalani Whillock notched the 500th dig of her collegiate career on Friday evening, doing so in the third set against Georgia Tech. The sophomore achieved the feat through a total of 39 matches, dating back to her standout freshman debut season that saw her tie the ACC digs-per-set leader mark (4.19). This season, Whillock sits second in digs among the Deacons' roster (68).
From the Head Honcho
"It's always great playing against a team that sets the standards," said head coach Randi Smart. "Tonight's atmosphere was great and we had a lot of our fans come out to support. Overall, we are continuing to develop as a team. We'll take what we need from here and focus our full attention on Clemson for Sunday."
Up Next
Wake Forest gets right back on the road to finish its weekend at Clemson with a Sunday 1 p.m. start (Sept. 25).
