Demon Deacons Down Hornets During Day One of 2023 UCF Challenge

ORLANDO, Fla. – Wake Forest volleyball (4-0) started its weekend stay in Orlando on a strong note, sweeping Alabama State (0-4) in a 3-1 finish on Friday evening during Central Florida's 2023 UCF Challenge.

This is the program's first 4-0 start in a season since 2019 when the Deacs won their first seven.

Olivia Franke reached the 500th kill of her career in the match, occurring in the midst of the third set. The senior middle blocker tied her season-high in kills (9), on a team-best .353 hitting percentage, by the evening's conclusion.

Paige Crawford landed a new season-best mark of 17 kills, leading all individuals. The sophomore fell just short of a double-double as well, registering nine digs.

Rian Baker was once again a reliable two-way factor, posting 39 assists and nine digs. Ava Carney finished with 12 kills, notching her second-straight showing of double-figures in that category.

Kalani Whillock and Ava Torrance contributed eight and seven digs, respectively. Emmy Ogogor totaled nine kills and three blocks.

Wake Forest finished with an advantage in points, kills, assists, and digs over the Hornets.

How it Happened

Olivia Franke made a nice swing from the right side of the floor to firstly put Wake Forest on the board.
Alabama State took an early 7-1 lead to start before the Deacs called for timeout.
Coming out of the break, Wake Forest was able to find more of a groove, piecing a 5-1 run.
- Emmy Ogogor had back-to-back kills during the push.
The Hornets responded with another surge, however, 7-2, as the Deacons were forced to take another timeout.
- Wake Forest trailed 17-8 at the time in set one.
Errors committed by Alabama State resulted in the team taking time to regroup, with Wake Forest down by eight.
- Franke then slammed a ball for her second kill, followed by a service ace by Paige Crawford.
The next few rallies were traded between the two sides, as a Deacon service error allowed Alabama State to reach set point.
- The Hornets capped the set on a team error by Wake Forest, 25-16.
  - Crawford led with three kills and three digs in the opening frame.
Looking to shake off for the second, Ogogor and Ava Carney connected on a big team block for the period's first possession.
- Franke powered in a kill to give her Deacs a quick 4-1 lead.
Alabama State ultimately took a one-point lead in scoring five of its next six tries.
- After a brief 7-7 tie, the Hornets' advantage grew to 11-7 after a few successful serves.
- Wake Forest subsequently took a timeout.
After another pair of aces were laced by Alabama State, Ogogor put an end to the run.
Wake Forest trimmed the deficit all the way down to a 15-15 tie, as Rian Baker continued to find her hitters while Carney gave a spark.
- Two consecutive kills by the latter saw the Black and Old Gold leading again, 16-15.
Things soon became even again, 18-18, before Crawford angled herself for an impressive, middle kill.
Attacking errors proved to hurt Alabama State down the stretch of the second, as Crawford put the finishing touches on a 25-21 set victory.
- Baker had 19 assists and four digs through the first two frames.
Crawford and Carney wasted zero time in set three, exploding for kills that put Wake Forest in front early.
- Olivia Fish also checked in to provide an extra boost for the Deacons' attacks.
Three kills in a row by Franke gave the senior her 500th career kill during the third.
Up 15-7, Wake Forest's confidence stayed afloat upon reaching a media timeout.
Carney threw in a few nice hits to put more points on the board, and Kalani Whillock crafted an ace.
Ogogor sent a ball home right from the middle to put the Deacs at match point.
A Hornet attacking error officially gave Wake Forest the match lead, finishing off a 25-15 third-set win.
- Crawford continued to lead the way in kills, reaching a dozen through three frames.
Six unanswered points in the Deacons' favor opened set four.
After Fish and Crawford netted a kill, Ava Torrance and Emma Farrell laced aces to up the lead to 12-4.
- Carney smoothly skied right after, hammering one to the floor.
Deacon momentum continued for several more actions, leading into another Alabama State timeout.
- Wake Forest stayed ahead, 17-8.
Farrell went for another ace and Carney went off again in the closing moments of the match. Crawford sealed the win for Wake Forest on a rejection at the net.
Wake Forest defeated Alabama State, 3-1.

Standout Stats

Paige Crawford's 17 kills was a new season-high in week two of the fall.
- The Wimberley, Texas native tallied 16 in Wake Forest's season-opener sweep over Toledo a week ago (Aug. 25).
Wake Forest either outperformed or tied with Alabama State in five statistical categories:
- Points – 63.0 to 51.0
- Kills – 51 to 32
- Blocks – Even at 7
- Assists – 45 to 30
- Digs – 47 to 45
The Deacon defense impressed as a unit, with four players collecting seven or more digs.

Additional Notes

Olivia Franke reached the 500th kill of her career in the match, occurring in the midst of the third set.
Wake Forest is at its first 4-0 start in a season since 2019.
Wake Forest is currently at a 31-6 overall record versus non-conference opponents in the head coach Randi Smart era that began back in 2019.
Through her first four appearances, setter Rian Baker has amassed 145 assists, averaging 10.36 per set.

From Coach Smart

"Alabama State gave us everything they had from the first serve!" said head coach Randi Smart. "They are physical, confident and very well-coached! It took us some time to settle into the match, and I was very impressed with the grit and focus we showed as a team after the first set had wrapped.

"Also, I am very honored to be a part of Olivia Franke's 500th Wake Forest kill! Olivia has met every challenge with tenacity from the time I started recruiting her in high school. Her attention to detail and drive to succeed is something I know she brings every day. I'm thrilled she achieved this and can't wait to see her earn future milestones in this volleyball world!"

Up Next

A Saturday night showdown against the host Central Florida Knights (4-0) will make up day two for Wake Forest in the invitational. First set is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and the match will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Demon Deacons Down Hornets During Day One of 2023 UCF Challenge

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Team Stats

Paige Crawford

Carney Ava

Ogogor Emmy

Olivia Franke

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Paige Crawford

Emma Farrell

Olivia Fish

Olivia Franke

Emmy Ogogor

Ava Torrance

Kalani Whillock

Wake Forest Athletics

Demon Deacons Down Hornets During Day One of 2023 UCF Challenge

Related News

Next Event

Team Stats

Game Leaders

Paige Crawford

Carney Ava

Ogogor Emmy

Olivia Franke

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Paige Crawford

Emma Farrell

Olivia Fish

Olivia Franke

Emmy Ogogor

Ava Torrance

Kalani Whillock

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