Deacs Travel to San Marcos for Bobcat Invitational

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Continuing its time spent on the road, Wake Forest volleyball gears up for its first out-of-state trip of the year, participating in Texas State's 2022 Bobcat Invitational this weekend (Sept. 10-11).

Through two days, the Demon Deacons will match up against Sam Houston State, Ole Miss, and Texas State.

Live stats will be available for each of the three matches. Additionally, fans can tune into an available, free student-led radio broadcast during the Deacs' Sunday contest versus Texas State.

Wake Forest most recently swept NC A&T on the Aggies' home floor during Tuesday evening (Sept. 6), marking the tenth consecutive victory in the all-time series.

The Deacs have stood out on the defensive end through their first few weeks of fall competition, currently leading all Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) member schools with a 16.74 digs-per-set average.

The Matches

Saturday, Sept. 10

Wake Forest vs. Sam Houston State – 11 a.m. ET

Wake Forest vs. Ole Miss – 3 p.m. ET

Sunday, Sept. 11

Wake Forest vs. Texas State – 1 p.m. ET

Last Time Out

Looking to start its lengthy road stretch on a strong note, Wake Forest took care of business during Tuesday evening (Sept. 6), routing NC A&T in three sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-20).

The 3-0 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 near double-double of nine kills and nine digs. Her classmate Rian Baker steadied the offensive tempo with a match-best 33 assists. Defensively, the first-year impressed with nine digs of her own.

Emma Farrell led all individuals with 14 digs and three service aces. Audrey Douglas pieced an efficient night in going 8-of-10 on attacks (.800). 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).

Senior Things

Peyton Suess, the lone four-year member on the Wake Forest roster, has kicked off her senior campaign as an anchor for the Deacon offense. The Kasson, Minnesota, native leads the squad in kills (76), pacing Wake Forest in that category in each of her last four matches:

Versus Kennesaw State (8/27/22) – 21 kills
Versus Arizona (9/2/22) – 19 kills
Versus South Carolina (9/3/22) – 13 kills
Versus NC A&T (9/6/22) – 13 kills

In Tuesday's win over NC A&T, Suess finished with a .393 hitting percentage. Three of the Deacs' six total outings have seen her hit over 31% from the floor.

Set 'Em Up

Having started at setter for four straight matches, first-year Rian Baker is another bright spot for the Wake Forest offense. She's recorded 40 or more assists in three of her first four appearances, including double-doubles in two showings:

Versus Kennesaw State (8/27/22) – 46 assists & 10 digs
Versus Arizona (9/2/22) – 42 assists & 15 digs
Versus South Carolina (9/3/22) – 40 assists & 9 digs
Versus NC A&T (9/6/22) – 33 assists & 9 digs

Series History

Saturday will feature the first-ever meetings between Wake Forest and both Sam Houston State and Ole Miss.

Versus Texas State

Series: Wake Forest leads 1-0

Last Meeting: Aug. 29, 2014

Result: W, 3-1

Scouting the Opposition

After dropping three of its last five matches, Sam Houston State now sits at 3-5 overall. The Bearkats returned 10 players from a season ago and have handed out 46 service aces through eight contests, as Madison Dyer has notched 10 of those. Dyer also is tied with Catherine Krieger for the team lead in kills (76). Preseason WAC Libero of the Year, Hannah Baker, holds a 4.67 digs-per-set average that stands fourth-best among all Western Athletic Conference (WAC) individuals. Dyer's play translates to the defensive side as well, resulting in a team-best 22.0 blocks. Sam Houston State was selected to finish fourth in this year's WAC Preseason Poll.

Ole Miss will be seeking its first season win this weekend after starting the fall on an 0-4 clip. Senior outside hitter Anna Bair leads the way in kills (52) and ranks second on the Rebels' roster in blocks (12.0). Junior Sommer Daniel is the go-to setter, having racked up 97 assists through the four matches. Daniel's 3.40 digs-per-set average sits best on the team. Cammy Niesen has contributed 36 total digs thus far.

Texas State is 4-2 on the season and went undefeated (3-0) in Incarnate Word's Cardinal Classic (Aug. 26-27). The Bobcats have held an edge over their opponents in kills (265-234), assists (240-225), and blocks (37.0-32.0). Additionally, the team ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference in hitting percentage (.279) and third in kills-per-set (13.25). Preseason All-Sun Belt nod Jada Garner and Janell Fitzgerald, the Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, play heavy roles in Texas State's attacking tempo. Tessa Marshall is a notable two-way threat (44 kills and a team-best 19.0 blocks). Preseason Setter of the Year Emily DeWalt's 10.25 assists-per-set mark is good for third-best in the conference. The Bobcats were tabbed to finish second in the West Division of the 2022 Sun Belt Volleyball Preseason Poll.

Up Next

Wake Forest is back in the state of North Carolina next week, stepping into the Charlotte 49ers' hosted invitational (Sept. 16-17).

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Paige Crawford

Audrey Douglas

Emma Farrell

Olivia Franke

Peyton Suess

Wake Forest Athletics