Friday, August 25
Winston-Salem, N.C.
7 P.M.
Wake Forest University
vs
Toledo
Photo by: Seth Seebaugh
Deacs Set for Hosted Invitational to Kick Off 2023 Fall Season
8/24/2023 2:12:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Watch (vs. Toledo)Live Stats (vs. Toledo)Watch (vs. Northeastern)Live Stats (vs. Northeastern)Watch (vs. GCU)Live Stats (vs. GCU)Match Notes
Fans will have the chance to check out Wake Forest Volleyball three times this weekend!
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Demon Deacon Volleyball officially returns this weekend, as Wake Forest prepares to kick off its 2023 fall campaign with a hosted, three-day invitational in Varsity Arena within Reynolds Gymnasium (Aug. 25-27).
A four-team field makes up the event, including the host Deacs, Toledo University, Northeastern University, and Grand Canyon University.
Action begins for Wake Forest on Friday, featuring a season opener against Toledo at 7 p.m. ET. The team will then take on Northeastern on Saturday evening before finishing things with a Sunday afternoon showing versus Grand Canyon.
Those unable to attend can tune into each of the Deacons' matches through ACC Network Extra. Live stats will be available for all of the weekend's contests.
Wake Forest held an invitational on its ground last year as well, going 2-1 overall through two days of competition.
Invitational Schedule
Friday, Aug. 25
Toledo vs. Northeastern – 10 a.m. ET
Northeastern vs. Grand Canyon – 4 p.m. ET
Wake Forest vs. Toledo – 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 26
Grand Canyon vs. Toledo – 1 p.m. ET
Wake Forest vs. Northeastern – 5 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug. 27
Wake Forest vs. GCU – 1 p.m. ET
Fan Information
Admission is free for all Wake Forest volleyball home matches. The team plays each home contest in Varsity Arena, located on the second level of Reynolds Gymnasium (21 Wingate Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27109).
Accessibility Information
Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at games, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all people. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at tomorrow's game, fans can access closed captions here for the public address announcer and in-venue content.
Wake Forest Athletics is always open to learning about new ideas and ways we can improve. Please report accessibility challenges, identify content you find inaccessible, or give us general feedback at pantagw@wfu.edu.
Weekend Promotions
Opening weekend is set to feature a handful of activities and goods for spectators who join in on the fun inside Varsity Arena.
For starters, the first 200 fans to arrive at Varsity Arena for Friday's (Aug. 25) season opener will receive a free Wake Forest Volleyball t-shirt.
During day two (Saturday, Aug. 26), there will be a raffle throughout the match versus Northeastern for the chance to potentially win exclusive Nike gear.
Finally, on Sunday (Aug. 27), free pizza will be provided for the first 200 fans who show up for the invitational's finale against Grand Canyon.
2023 Season Outlook
With head coach Randi Smart entering her fifth year at the helm of the program, Wake Forest is coming off a 17-14 overall record in 2022, its best mark since the 2010 season. Additionally, the Demon Deacons grabbed 10 victories on their home floor, the most since the 2014 campaign. Combining a 15-14 overall clip in 2021, Wake Forest produced back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2000-01.
The team went on to participate in the 2022 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) for its first postseason appearance since 1986 when the Deacs played in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament before the event ceased in 2004. Wake Forest ultimately made its way to the NIVC's second round.
A heavy veteran presence of nine seniors headlines this year's group. In all, 14 of the team's 19 players are returners – five of which acted as primary starters in 2022. Wake Forest was picked to finish ninth in the 2023 ACC Preseason Volleyball Poll.
Four invitationals compose the first half of the Deacons' fall before returning home for an ACC opener versus Miami on Sept. 22.
Meet the Crew
A returning senior core of Kylie Adams, Annabelle Daly, Audrey Douglas, Olivia Franke, Megan Merril, Emmy Ogogor, Ashley Slater, and Lauren Strain is present this year to continue strong leadership roles for the program. Graduate student Ava Torrance also enters the mix as a defensive specialist, having transferred from Purdue University. Last year, Franke and Ogogor were the top two team leaders in blocks while also finishing third and fourth in kills, respectively, and being two of three players to start in all 31 matches. An experienced outside hitter, Slater was fifth on the squad in kills as a junior (145). In her first year with the Deacs during 2022, Douglas created a middle presence while appearing in 28 matches to stand third on the roster in blocks. Adams provides depth at the setter position while Daly and Merril play as additional defensive options.
Kalani Whillock and Kendall Phillips have entered their upperclassmen stage, as both juniors hold defensive prowess. Named a co-team captain a year ago alongside Strain, Whillock produced as a versatile factor throughout her sophomore campaign, resting third in total digs among her teammates while also being fifth in assists and service aces. Phillips competed in 15 matches last season – making a start in the NIVC tournament's second round and tying her career high in digs (11) versus Arizona on Sept. 2.
Sophomore libero Emma Farrell is back and was named the 2022 ACC Freshman of the Year after leading the conference in a digs-per-set average (4.41) as a freshman. The Norcross, Georgia, native became the first Deacon to attain such recognition since Christy Williams in 2002, along with being only the second, all-time Wake Forest player. Farrell and outside hitter Paige Crawford also were tabbed to the conference's 2022 All-Freshman Team, becoming the first pair in program history to secure All-Freshman selections since Caroline Rassenfoss and Caitlyn Della in 2016. Farrell and Crawford combined for a total of four ACC Freshman of the Week honors – the highest mark in the Smart coaching era. Crawford paced Wake Forest in total kills (341) and kills-per-set (3.31), finishing tenth in the ACC in the latter category. Rian Baker returns as an orchestrator of the team's offense after being second in assists (524) her first collegiate season. Olivia Murphy, another impactful pin hitter, rounds out the quartet of sophomores.
Wake Forest has brought in a group of four freshmen – Ava Carney, Dior Charles, Elena Dragani, and Olivia Fish. In late-February, Carney, along with Crawford and Farrell, received a tryout invite to the 2023 USA Volleyball Women's National Team (WNT) Open Program, held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The high-flying Pittsburgh native was ranked in the top-60 of PrepVolleyball.com's Class of 2023. Fish and Charles, who play at outside hitter and middle blocker, respectively, held national rankings from PrepDig and within their home states. A performer with national championship pedigree on the club scene, Dragani competes as another setter for the Deacs. Fish also won a national championship for her club program, with Charles notching a national title at the high school level.
Last Year's Numbers
As early as week two of the 2022 fall season, Wake Forest found itself ranked within the ACC's top five among all member institutions in digs-per-set, as a team. The Deacons ultimately finished third in the conference with a 14.50 digs-per-set average.
By the 2022 season's conclusion, the team also finished in the top half of the league in hitting percentage (.223), assists (11.85/set), kills (12.72/set), and service aces (1.51/set).
Series History
Versus Toledo
The weekend will feature first-ever matchups between Wake Forest and Northeastern/Grand Canyon.
Scouting the Opposition
The Toledo Rockets bring back 12 letterwinners from a year ago, including three-time All-MAC honoree Taylor Alt and fifth-year seniors Ryann Jaqua and Rhyenne Filisi. Alt led the MAC in both kills (4.12/set) and scoring (4.75 points/set) last season while Jaqua ranked third in the MAC and 20th in the nation in digs/set (5.04). The Rockets finished 19-13 overall, earning their second-straight NIVC berth.
Northeastern tallied a 14-13 record in 2022, including a 10-6 clip within the Coastal Athletic Association. The Huskies finished as the No. 4-seeded in the CAA tournament, which was highlighted by a four-set win over No. 5-seeded Elon. The victory was Northeastern's first quarterfinal win since 2013. Setter Jessica Frannea returns for her senior campaign after totaling 966 assists as a junior.
Grand Canyon is coming off an 18-11 season with a 10-4 conference record and an NIVC postseason debut victory against Wichita State. The Lopes were predicted to finish second in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) this season by the conference coaches poll, as graduate setter Klaire Mitchell and sophomore outside hitter Tatum Parrott were also named to the Preseason All-WAC team. Mitchell, a three-time All-WAC first-team pick and two-time WAC Setter of the Year, holds the Lopes' Division I-era assist record with 3,392 through four seasons. Her 1,126 assists last season also ranks first in the program's Division I-era single-season assist records. Parrott, the only WAC sophomore to earn preseason honors, capped her regular-season freshman campaign with 299 points, 254 kills, 151 digs, 30 service aces and seven solo blocks, earning a spot on the All-WAC first team and All-WAC Freshman Team.
Up Next
Following its invitational, Wake Forest will start a three-week road stretch, beginning with a trip to Orlando for Central Florida's hosted weekend tournament (Sept. 1-3). Competition against Alabama State, the host Knights, and Florida International will all take place.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
A four-team field makes up the event, including the host Deacs, Toledo University, Northeastern University, and Grand Canyon University.
Action begins for Wake Forest on Friday, featuring a season opener against Toledo at 7 p.m. ET. The team will then take on Northeastern on Saturday evening before finishing things with a Sunday afternoon showing versus Grand Canyon.
Those unable to attend can tune into each of the Deacons' matches through ACC Network Extra. Live stats will be available for all of the weekend's contests.
Wake Forest held an invitational on its ground last year as well, going 2-1 overall through two days of competition.
Invitational Schedule
Friday, Aug. 25
Toledo vs. Northeastern – 10 a.m. ET
Northeastern vs. Grand Canyon – 4 p.m. ET
Wake Forest vs. Toledo – 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 26
Grand Canyon vs. Toledo – 1 p.m. ET
Wake Forest vs. Northeastern – 5 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug. 27
Wake Forest vs. GCU – 1 p.m. ET
Fan Information
Admission is free for all Wake Forest volleyball home matches. The team plays each home contest in Varsity Arena, located on the second level of Reynolds Gymnasium (21 Wingate Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27109).
Accessibility Information
Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at games, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all people. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at tomorrow's game, fans can access closed captions here for the public address announcer and in-venue content.
Wake Forest Athletics is always open to learning about new ideas and ways we can improve. Please report accessibility challenges, identify content you find inaccessible, or give us general feedback at pantagw@wfu.edu.
Weekend Promotions
Opening weekend is set to feature a handful of activities and goods for spectators who join in on the fun inside Varsity Arena.
For starters, the first 200 fans to arrive at Varsity Arena for Friday's (Aug. 25) season opener will receive a free Wake Forest Volleyball t-shirt.
First 2⃣0⃣0⃣ fans to show up for our season opener on Friday get a FREE shirt 👕#GoDeacs 🎩🏐 pic.twitter.com/u7glmTOpWK
— Wake Volleyball (@WakeVolleyball) August 22, 2023
those 👕 will be waiting for you tomorrow night❕#GoDeacs 🎩 🏐 pic.twitter.com/2W2yNPU5ZI
— Wake Volleyball (@WakeVolleyball) August 24, 2023
During day two (Saturday, Aug. 26), there will be a raffle throughout the match versus Northeastern for the chance to potentially win exclusive Nike gear.
Finally, on Sunday (Aug. 27), free pizza will be provided for the first 200 fans who show up for the invitational's finale against Grand Canyon.
plenty of opportunities Fri-Sun 🤫 👕🍕🎫#GoDeacs 🎩🏐 pic.twitter.com/U2BaIWGMkm
— Wake Volleyball (@WakeVolleyball) August 24, 2023
2023 Season Outlook
With head coach Randi Smart entering her fifth year at the helm of the program, Wake Forest is coming off a 17-14 overall record in 2022, its best mark since the 2010 season. Additionally, the Demon Deacons grabbed 10 victories on their home floor, the most since the 2014 campaign. Combining a 15-14 overall clip in 2021, Wake Forest produced back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2000-01.
The team went on to participate in the 2022 National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) for its first postseason appearance since 1986 when the Deacs played in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Tournament before the event ceased in 2004. Wake Forest ultimately made its way to the NIVC's second round.
A heavy veteran presence of nine seniors headlines this year's group. In all, 14 of the team's 19 players are returners – five of which acted as primary starters in 2022. Wake Forest was picked to finish ninth in the 2023 ACC Preseason Volleyball Poll.
Four invitationals compose the first half of the Deacons' fall before returning home for an ACC opener versus Miami on Sept. 22.
Meet the Crew
A returning senior core of Kylie Adams, Annabelle Daly, Audrey Douglas, Olivia Franke, Megan Merril, Emmy Ogogor, Ashley Slater, and Lauren Strain is present this year to continue strong leadership roles for the program. Graduate student Ava Torrance also enters the mix as a defensive specialist, having transferred from Purdue University. Last year, Franke and Ogogor were the top two team leaders in blocks while also finishing third and fourth in kills, respectively, and being two of three players to start in all 31 matches. An experienced outside hitter, Slater was fifth on the squad in kills as a junior (145). In her first year with the Deacs during 2022, Douglas created a middle presence while appearing in 28 matches to stand third on the roster in blocks. Adams provides depth at the setter position while Daly and Merril play as additional defensive options.
Kalani Whillock and Kendall Phillips have entered their upperclassmen stage, as both juniors hold defensive prowess. Named a co-team captain a year ago alongside Strain, Whillock produced as a versatile factor throughout her sophomore campaign, resting third in total digs among her teammates while also being fifth in assists and service aces. Phillips competed in 15 matches last season – making a start in the NIVC tournament's second round and tying her career high in digs (11) versus Arizona on Sept. 2.
Sophomore libero Emma Farrell is back and was named the 2022 ACC Freshman of the Year after leading the conference in a digs-per-set average (4.41) as a freshman. The Norcross, Georgia, native became the first Deacon to attain such recognition since Christy Williams in 2002, along with being only the second, all-time Wake Forest player. Farrell and outside hitter Paige Crawford also were tabbed to the conference's 2022 All-Freshman Team, becoming the first pair in program history to secure All-Freshman selections since Caroline Rassenfoss and Caitlyn Della in 2016. Farrell and Crawford combined for a total of four ACC Freshman of the Week honors – the highest mark in the Smart coaching era. Crawford paced Wake Forest in total kills (341) and kills-per-set (3.31), finishing tenth in the ACC in the latter category. Rian Baker returns as an orchestrator of the team's offense after being second in assists (524) her first collegiate season. Olivia Murphy, another impactful pin hitter, rounds out the quartet of sophomores.
Wake Forest has brought in a group of four freshmen – Ava Carney, Dior Charles, Elena Dragani, and Olivia Fish. In late-February, Carney, along with Crawford and Farrell, received a tryout invite to the 2023 USA Volleyball Women's National Team (WNT) Open Program, held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The high-flying Pittsburgh native was ranked in the top-60 of PrepVolleyball.com's Class of 2023. Fish and Charles, who play at outside hitter and middle blocker, respectively, held national rankings from PrepDig and within their home states. A performer with national championship pedigree on the club scene, Dragani competes as another setter for the Deacs. Fish also won a national championship for her club program, with Charles notching a national title at the high school level.
Wake Volley ~ the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
— Wake Volleyball (@WakeVolleyball) August 1, 2023
(Happy August 😎)#GoDeacs 🎩🏐 pic.twitter.com/7QnyhHHVJV
Last Year's Numbers
As early as week two of the 2022 fall season, Wake Forest found itself ranked within the ACC's top five among all member institutions in digs-per-set, as a team. The Deacons ultimately finished third in the conference with a 14.50 digs-per-set average.
| Rank | Institution | Sets Played | Total # of Digs | Per-Set Avg. |
| 1 | NC State | 106 | 1,622 | 15.30 |
| 2 | Notre Dame | 108 | 1,570 | 14.54 |
| 3 | Wake Forest | 115 | 1,668 | 14.50 |
| 4 | Georgia Tech | 106 | 1,526 | 14.40 |
| 5 | Clemson | 118 | 1,676 | 14.20 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 108 | 1,497 | 13.86 |
| 7 | Duke | 116 | 1,599 | 13.78 |
| 8 | Florida State | 110 | 1,485 | 13.50 |
| 9 | Pitt | 126 | 1,687 | 13.39 |
| 10 | Boston College | 142 | 1,881 | 13.25 |
By the 2022 season's conclusion, the team also finished in the top half of the league in hitting percentage (.223), assists (11.85/set), kills (12.72/set), and service aces (1.51/set).
Series History
Versus Toledo
- Series: Wake Forest leads, 1-0
- Last Time: Sept. 14, 2012
- Result: W, 3-0
The weekend will feature first-ever matchups between Wake Forest and Northeastern/Grand Canyon.
Scouting the Opposition
The Toledo Rockets bring back 12 letterwinners from a year ago, including three-time All-MAC honoree Taylor Alt and fifth-year seniors Ryann Jaqua and Rhyenne Filisi. Alt led the MAC in both kills (4.12/set) and scoring (4.75 points/set) last season while Jaqua ranked third in the MAC and 20th in the nation in digs/set (5.04). The Rockets finished 19-13 overall, earning their second-straight NIVC berth.
Northeastern tallied a 14-13 record in 2022, including a 10-6 clip within the Coastal Athletic Association. The Huskies finished as the No. 4-seeded in the CAA tournament, which was highlighted by a four-set win over No. 5-seeded Elon. The victory was Northeastern's first quarterfinal win since 2013. Setter Jessica Frannea returns for her senior campaign after totaling 966 assists as a junior.
Grand Canyon is coming off an 18-11 season with a 10-4 conference record and an NIVC postseason debut victory against Wichita State. The Lopes were predicted to finish second in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) this season by the conference coaches poll, as graduate setter Klaire Mitchell and sophomore outside hitter Tatum Parrott were also named to the Preseason All-WAC team. Mitchell, a three-time All-WAC first-team pick and two-time WAC Setter of the Year, holds the Lopes' Division I-era assist record with 3,392 through four seasons. Her 1,126 assists last season also ranks first in the program's Division I-era single-season assist records. Parrott, the only WAC sophomore to earn preseason honors, capped her regular-season freshman campaign with 299 points, 254 kills, 151 digs, 30 service aces and seven solo blocks, earning a spot on the All-WAC first team and All-WAC Freshman Team.
Up Next
Following its invitational, Wake Forest will start a three-week road stretch, beginning with a trip to Orlando for Central Florida's hosted weekend tournament (Sept. 1-3). Competition against Alabama State, the host Knights, and Florida International will all take place.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
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