Wake Forest University
4-2,0-0ACC
NC A&T
3-5,0-0CAA
Wake Forest Sweeps Aggies in Tuesday Tilt
9/6/2022 8:32:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Paige Crawford stood out in her return to the hardwood.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Looking to start its lengthy road stretch on a strong note, Wake Forest volleyball (4-2) took care of business during Tuesday evening (Sept. 6), routing NC A&T (3-5) in three sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-20).
The win marked the Demon Deacons' 10th consecutive victory over the Aggies in the all-time series.
Peyton Suess continued her run as a match leader in kills, ending with 13 on the night. Paige Crawford posted a solid two-way performance of nine kills and eight digs. Her classmate Rian Baker steadied the offensive tempo with a match-best 32 assists. Defensively, the first-year impressed with nine digs.
Emma Farrell led all individuals with 14 digs and three service aces. Olivia Franke contributed six kills and three blocks.
Wake Forest outperformed NC A&T in points (52.0-45.0), kills (40-30), blocks (7-6), assists (38-26), and digs (46-44).
How it Happened
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For the third match in a row, Olivia Franke was the first Demon Deacon to net a kill.
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The first set's opening possessions were traded, with the score sitting even at 4-4.
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Peyton Suess entered the contest to immediately punch in two kills, starting a quick 3-0 push by Wake Forest.
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NC A&T briefly cut the Deacs' momentum, but soon suffered from its own attacking errors and called a timeout.
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Wake Forest led 14-7 at the time of play.
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Following two kills delivered by Paige Crawford, the Aggies saw some light in producing five straight points.
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Another timeout took place, with Wake Forest still in front, 17-13.
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NC A&T got within one point while trailing in the first, but Crawford answered again to stretch the gap a bit more.
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Suess sparked another run by Wake Forest, 5-1, that ended up putting a finish to the opening frame in the Black and Old Gold's favor, 25-20.
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Rian Baker recorded 11 assists in set one.
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The Deacons scored the second set's first three points.
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However, NC A&T fought to stay close, trailing just 9-8.
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Behind Suess and Crawford, Wake Forest kept in front before a timeout break happened, 12-9.
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A flurry of attacks erupted by the Deacs - Audrey Douglas hammered a kill to stretch the advantage to 18-12.
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Both teams took turns through the next 10 total possessions.
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Nevertheless, Wake Forest kept its confidence high through quick actions, ultimately securing set two, 25-19.
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Suess was the first Deac to reach 10 kills.
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NC A&T came out edgy in set three, holding a narrow lead before Crawford tied the board at 8-8 on a powerful kill.
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Minutes later, Douglas and Lauren Strain rejected an attempt at the net to have Wake Forest leading 11-9.
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NC A&T subsequently took time to talk things over.
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A service ace by the Aggies evened things in the third, 13-13.
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However, it would not last long, as Suess took off from the left side on the very next play, followed by two service aces from Emma Farrell.
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NC A&T tried to make something happen with a trio of plays, but a Suess swing allowed Wake Forest to retain possession.
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Baker and Franke anchored a big block afterward, with the lead sitting at 21-16.
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After Franke threw down a swinging kill, NC A&T tacked on a couple more points before Lauren Strain put the finishing touches on the night with a right-side slam.
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Wake Forest won the contest in three sets, 3-0.
Standout Stat
Audrey Douglas and Peyton Suess had the most efficient nights of all players. Douglas went 7-of-9 in attacks (.778) while Suess collected 13 kills on a .393 hitting percentage. The latter has led Wake Forest in kills through the team's last four matches. Three of those such outings have seen Suess hit over 31% on attacks.
From the Head Honcho
"It was great to see our leaders step up again tonight," said head coach Randi Smart. "Peyton Suess continues to lead, and we are seeing other players step up as well. We have a few things we need to touch up before heading to Texas. We are all looking forward to getting in the gym and training."
Up Next
Wake Forest takes on Texas State's 2022 Bobcat Invitational later this week, facing a trio of foes – Sam Houston State, Ole Miss, and the host Bobcats – through Sept. 10-11.
