Demon Deacons Fall to No. 7 Pitt On the Road

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Wake Forest volleyball (16-7, 7-5) finished its weekend in Fitzgerald Field House on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 29), visiting No. 7 Pittsburgh (20-3, 11-1). The Demon Deacons pushed hard in their overall effort on the court but fell in a 3-0 defeat.

Playing back in her hometown, freshman outside hitter Ava Carney led Wake Forest in kills (12). It was her 12th performance of 11 or more this fall. Paige Crawford and Olivia Fish had five each.

Emma Farrell paced all individuals in digs (13). The sophomore libero has tallied 10 straight showings of 10+ in that category.

Rian Baker finished with a team-best 21 assists while Kalani Whillock chipped in six digs. Emmy Ogogor went 4-of-8 on attacks with zero errors (.500 hitting percentage), adding two blocks.

Wake Forest is 5-3 in road matches this year.

How it Happened

Ava Carney was the first Deacon to net a kill.
Ashley Slater followed with two hits of her own before points began to be traded early.
After Carney tacked another swing from the left side, Wake Forest trailed 7-6, as Pittsburgh took a timeout.
Dior Charles quickly made a few plays to tie the board at 9 all.
A 5-1 run by the Panthers gave them some breathing room, up 14-10 in the first.
Through the next few rallies, Pittsburgh remained ahead, 17-12.
Wake Forest, however, found different ways to plug in points – surging on a 4-1 run to create a two-point game (18-16).
- Emmy Ogogor delivered a service ace during the momentum rush.
- The Panthers subsequently took a timeout.
Carney hammered a ball soon afterward.
Pittsburgh succeeded on its final few attacking attempts, closing out set one on a 25-19 decision.
- Emma Farrell picked up eight digs in the frame while the freshmen pairing of Carney and Charles knotted four kills apiece.
Carney brought her aggressive hitting right into set two, floating for another pair of kills.
Pittsburgh held control in its offensive tempo leading 7-3 before a timeout was taken.
Paige Crawford then connected on a block, followed by an ace from the sophomore.
The Panthers extended their lead to 14-7 on ensuing kills.
- Wake Forest was able to notch a successful challenge next.
Olivia Fish checked onto the floor for the Deacs and tacked a kill instantly.
By the next floor break, Pittsburgh led 20-12.
Ogogor made two kills in a row to chip into the Deacon scoring.
A final sequence featuring a kill, solo block and ace by Pittsburgh wrapped set two, 25-15.
- Carney had eight kills at the time.
Making a start in set three, Fish tapped a kill right away once the period unfolded.
Pittsburgh led 4-1 early.
The Deacons soon scored on three of four tries but still trailed, 9-6.
- Carney reached her 10th kill of the afternoon and Olivia Franked subbed in.
  - The former lined an ace as Pittsburgh held on to a three-point advantage.
A couple of effort plays aided in Wake Forest posting additional points, and Crawford knocked in two kills.
Errors from both sides had the host still in front, 20-15.
The Deacs regrouped at their bench following two more Panther points.
Fish made two more kills in the final moments.
Pittsburgh was able to complete the match in three sets, winning the third on a 25-18 finish.
Wake Forest fell, 3-0.

Standout Stats

Emma Farrell ended as the match leader in digs, collecting 13. Eight of her total happened in the first set alone.
- The Norcross, Georgia native has led Wake Forest in digs 15 times in 2023.
Ava Carney posted 12 kills – a team-high mark and the seventh time this year that she has paced the Black and Old Gold.

From Coach Smart

"Pittsburgh played a great match and we knew this would be a tough environment to play in," head coach Randi Smart acknowledged. "There were good, competitive moments and I felt we earned points on several occasions simply by working for it. If we continue to fight with that sense of urgency, we will have a chance to put ourselves in a solid position versus anyone. More matches on the road next weekend will be big – we will have to keep our focus entering this final month of the regular season."

Up Next

Wake Forest stays on the road for 'Big Four' matches to open up November, travels to Duke (Nov. 3) and North Carolina (Nov. 5).

Follow the Deacs

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com

Next Event

Team Stats

Carney Ava

Paige Crawford

Olivia Fish

Ogogor Emmy

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Dior Charles

Paige Crawford

Emma Farrell

Olivia Fish

Olivia Franke

Emmy Ogogor

Ashley Slater

Kalani Whillock

Wake Forest Athletics