Friday, November 10
Winston-Salem, N.C.
7 P.M.

Wake Forest University

vs

North Carolina

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Wake Forest Volleyball huddle
Photo by: UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Deacons Primed for Second Consecutive Tar Heel Matchup on Senior Night

11/9/2023 8:18:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

WatchLive StatsMatch Notes

Nine seniors will be honored on Friday night by the Wake Forest volleyball program.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The first of Wake Forest volleyball's final two home showings is up on Friday evening (Nov. 10), as the team will host North Carolina (11-12, 5-9) at 7 p.m. ET.

The Demon Demons are 17-8 overall on the year with an 8-6 mark versus Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) competition.

Friday's matchup will be Wake Forest's second against the Tar Heels in six days, fresh off a five-set comeback victory this past Sunday (Nov. 10).

The contest will air on ACC Network Extra.

Senior Night headlines the evening, as a post-match ceremony in Varsity Arena will honor nine Deacs for all they have contributed to the program.
 




















The Match

Friday, Nov. 3
Wake Forest vs. North Carolina – 7 p.m. ET


Last Time Out

Friday, Nov. 3 – Duke 3, Wake Forest 1

On the road in nearby Durham for its first match of November, Wake Forest visited Duke on Friday evening (Nov. 3). The Demon Deacons were able to notch the opening set before ultimately suffering a 3-1 defeat.

Friday night was the Deacs' second matchup versus a Big Four opponent in 2023.

Freshman Ava Carney led the team in kills for the second time in as many matches, totaling a solid 14 on the evening (.314 attacking percentage). 

Emma Farrell was once again the match leader in digs, finishing with 15. The performance included the 12th time this season she has registered 15 or more in that category, in addition to collecting a dozen or more digs in five of her last six showings.

Paige Crawford had 10 kills, six digs, and two service aces while Olivia Franke added seven kills.

Rian Baker tallied 35 assists – her second-highest season total versus conference competition this fall. The sophomore setter additionally chipped in eight digs. Ava Torrance had eight digs of her own.


Sunday, Nov. 5 – Wake Forest 3, North Carolina 2

Going down 0-2 on the road at North Carolina on Sunday (Nov. 5), Wake Forest refused to let up – putting together an exceptional display of collective fight to bounce back in a five-set, 3-2 win for its first Big Four victory of the year.

The afternoon included the Demon Deacons' first win at North Carolina since Nov. 27, 2019.

Sunday featured the team's eighth ACC win of 2023 – marking two consecutive years of at least eight victories against conference foes. This is the first such feat for Wake Forest throughout program history since 2009-10.

Olivia Franke showed out for a career performance – reaching a new personal high in single-match kills with 14. She has one of the most efficient, individual showings of the year in going for 24 attacks with zero errors (.583). The senior middle blocker also added four blocks.

Paige Crawford led the Deacons with 18 kills and Ava Carney had 14. It was the 11th overall occasion this fall in which three players recorded double-digit kills. Carney and Crawford chipped in five blocks and five digs, respectively. 

Emma Farrell made major plays, defensively, as the match progressed, ultimately ending with a team-best 16 digs. Ava Torrance contributed 12 digs.

Rian Baker handed out a match-high 43 assists – her most in a conference match this year. She also collected 11 digs for her fifth double-double of 2023. Dior Charles totaled five blocks.

Wake Forest has downed North Carolina in three of the last five meetings.


Picking Up Steam

In her last three showings, freshman outside hitter Ava Carney has either led or tied for second in kills for Wake Forest. The Pittsburgh native continues to stand second on the roster in kills and third in blocks.

Ava Carney Recent Performances
  • At North Carolina (11/5/23): 14 kills, .243 hitting percentage, five blocks
  • At Duke (11/3/23): 14 kills, .314 hitting percentage, two blocks
  • At No. 7 Pittsburgh (10/29/23): 12 kills and two blocks

Steady Trio

Wake Forest has three of its own still competing as top-10 ACC players in different statistical categories, per Nov. 9.
  • Olivia Franke – 5th in hitting percentage (.408) – moved up from 9th place back on Nov. 2.
  • Emma Farrell – 8th in digs (3.76/set)
  • Rian Baker – 8th in assists (8.16/set) – moved up from 9th place back on Nov. 2

Additional Notes
  • Per the latest NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), released on Monday (Nov. 6), Wake Forest moved to No. 33.
  • Wake Forest has posted back-to-back seasons of at least 17 wins – its best since 2000-01.
  • Kalani Whillock reached over 800 career digs during this past Sunday (Nov. 5) in the win over North Carolina.
  • Paige Crawford has led Wake Forest in kills 14 times this year.
  • Ashley Slater is nearing the 100th block of her collegiate tenure, needing only two more.

Series History

Versus North Carolina
  • Series: North Carolina leads, 53-17
  • Last Time: Nov. 5, 2023
  • Result: W, 3-2

Scouting the Opposition

North Carolina continues to rank fifth in the league as a unit in service aces, averaging 1.63 per set. The Tar Heels are at 11-12 overall on the year, tied for 10th in the conference standings with Boston College. North Carolina is paced by:
  • Junior outside hitter Mabrey Shaffmaster – fourth in points (4.10/set), fifth in kills (3.54/set) and eighth in service aces (0.36/set) among the conference. First Team All-ACC member in 2022.
  • Sophomore setter Anita Babic – 10th in assists among the conference (7.60/set).
  • Sophomore middle blocker Sadie Swift – ninth in blocks among the conference (1.09/set).
  • Sophomore libero/defensive specialist Maddy May – seventh in digs among the conference (3.77/set).

Up Next

One final regular-season weekend on the road is up next for Wake Forest, as the team visits Notre Dame (Nov. 17) and Virginia Tech (Nov. 19)


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North Carolina
L, 2-3

Nov 10 (Fri)

7 P.M.
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Players Mentioned

9

Kylie Adams

S
/ Women's Volleyball
17

Rian Baker

S
/ Women's Volleyball
3

Dior Charles

MB
/ Women's Volleyball
13

Paige Crawford

OH
/ Women's Volleyball
6

Annabelle Daly

DS
/ Women's Volleyball
15

Audrey Douglas

MB
/ Women's Volleyball
10

Emma Farrell

DS
/ Women's Volleyball
2

Olivia Franke

MB
/ Women's Volleyball
18

Megan Merril

DS
/ Women's Volleyball
23

Emmy Ogogor

MB/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
14

Ashley Slater

OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
11

Lauren Strain

MB
/ Women's Volleyball
1

Ava Torrance

DS
/ Women's Volleyball
19

Kalani Whillock

DS/OH
/ Women's Volleyball

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