Friday, September 8
Kennesaw, Ga.
7 P.M.
Wake Forest University
at
Kennesaw State
Deacs to Continue Road Stretch Into Kennesaw State Invitational
9/6/2023 10:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Another out-of-state trip makes up Wake Forest’s third week of the season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Looking to keep its undefeated start active, Wake Forest volleyball steps into the second of its ongoing three-week road stretch, heading South to the Peach State for participation in Kennesaw State's 2023 invitational.
The Demon Deacons will again play three matches in three days – beginning with a Friday evening tilt against the host Owls. On Saturday afternoon, they'll face undefeated Western Michigan before turning around for Sunday against SEC foe Mississippi State.
Fans can follow along for each contest through live stats, and the Wake Forest-Kennesaw State Friday matchup (Sept. 8) will be streamed on ESPN+.
Wake Forest sits at 6-0 overall, its best start within a single season since 2019. The team is tied with Virginia Tech for the second-best mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
2023 Kennesaw State Invitational Schedule
Friday, Sept. 8
Wake Forest at Kennesaw State – 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Sept. 9
Wake Forest vs. Western Michigan – 3 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 10
Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State – 3 p.m. ET
Last Time Out
This past weekend, Wake Forest went 3-0 while partaking in Central Florida's hosted 2023 UCF Challenge.
Match One (Friday, Sept. 1) – Wake Forest 3, Alabama State 1
Wake Forest started its weekend stay in Orlando on a strong note, sweeping Alabama State in a 3-1 finish last Friday evening.
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.
Olivia Franke tied her season-high in kills (9), on a team-best .353 hitting percentage.
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.
Match Two (Saturday, Sept. 2) – Wake Forest 3, UCF 2
Intensity persisted all night long in Orlando during Wake Forest volleyball's second day in the 2023 UCF Challenge, as the team was tested against the host Knights. Keeping a balanced fight through five sets, the Demon Deacons rallied through for a 3-2 victory to stay undefeated this fall.
The win included Wake Forest handing UCF its first loss of the season, along with snapping a 22-match win streak at home that began back in 2021.
Sophomore setter Rian Baker reached a new career-high in kills during the evening, finishing with 48. She surpassed her previous mark of 46 set against Kennesaw State last year (Aug. 27, 2022). Baker also had eight digs and three kills.
Making her first collegiate start, freshman outside hitter Olivia Fish had herself a game – leading all individuals with 17 kills on an exceptional .485 hitting mark. Paige Crawford was close to recording a double-double: 15 kills and nine digs. The sophomore's total in kills was her third-highest of the year.
Freshman Ava Carney stepped up in the moment to provide the match-winning point on an outside kill, finishing with 11 of those.
Emmy Ogogor was a steady two-way presence, tallying nine kills (.571) and a team-high five blocks.
For the fourth time in her first five appearances, Emma Farrell was the match leader in digs (19). Kalani Whillock contributed nine of her own.
Wake Forest collected more digs than the Knights (55-52).
Match Three (Sunday, Sept. 3) – Wake Forest 3, FIU 0
Tournament play for Wake Forest volleyball officially came to a close on Sunday afternoon, as the Demon Deacons defeated Florida International in a 3-0 sweep.
Paige Crawford was a usual enforcer, leading her Deacs in kills for the third straight day (14). She again played a strong defensive role as well, collecting eight digs.
Making her first start with the Deacons, graduate student Ava Torrance led all in digs (13), reaching a new career high, and added two service aces. Emma Farrell contributed 12 digs.
Ava Carney and Emmy Ogogor were both efficient hitters during the afternoon, posting 12 kills (.478) and 10 kills (.438), respectively. Ogogor also made five blocks.
Rian Baker paced the offense with 36 assists – her fourth showing of 35 or more in that category.
Wake Forest outperformed FIU in points, kills, aces, assists, and digs.
New Milestone
Olivia Franke reached the 500th kill of her career in last Friday's match versus Alabama State (Sept. 1), occurring in the midst of the third set. The senior middle blocker currently ranks fourth on the roster in kills. A reliable piece, Franke has started and appeared in every single match throughout her time at Wake Forest, tracing back to the 2020-21 campaign. She was one of three Deacs to start in all 31 matches back in 2022, ultimately leading the team in hitting percentage (.320).
"I am very honored to be a part of Olivia Franke's 500th Wake Forest kill!" said head coach Randi Smart. "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!"
Super Sophomores
Early in the fall campaign, a sophomore trio of Emma Farrell, Paige Crawford and Rian Baker have paced the Deacs during the team's stellar start.
Named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week following week one (Aug. 28), Farrell continues to be Wake Forest's primary libero, leading with a 4.09 digs-per-set average that ranks seventh in the conference. The Norcross, Georgia, native also stands second on the roster in assists and service aces. In four of her first six appearances, Farrell has led all individuals in digs within each single match.
After leading the Deacons in total kills and kills-per-set a season ago, Crawford has maintained her place as an anchor within the team's attacking tempo. Four of Wake Forest's six contests have seen the heady outside hitter lead all in kills, reaching double-figures in all but one. Crawford has also made a jump on the defensive side, plugging in eight or more kills in her last four performances.
Having taken over the setter spot after making 14 starts in 28 appearances as a freshman in 2022, Baker has totaled 229 assists thus far. Her 10.41 assists-per-set average is second-best among all ACC individuals. Baker recently notched a new career high in assists for a single match, finishing with 48, along with eight digs, in Wake Forest's five-set victory at Central Florida (Sept. 2) that snapped the Knights' 22-match win streak at home. In her last four showings, the Rolling Meadows, Illinois, native has handed out 36 or more assists. Along with Crawford, Baker is one of two Deacs to have recorded a double-double this year, posting 43 assists and 10 digs versus Grand Canyon (Aug. 27).
Through Two Weeks
Wake Forest rests in the top-five within a few ACC team statistical lists:
Individually, a quartet of Deacs remains in various ACC top-10 sections:
Additional Notes
Series History
Versus Kennesaw State
Versus Western Michigan
Versus Mississippi State
Scouting the Opposition
Coming off wins over East Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech, Kennesaw State is 4-2 overall. Five starters are back in the Owls' rotation, led by the 2022 Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) Freshman of the Year, Manu Johnsen. The sophomore outside hitter leads the team with a 4.17 kills-per-set clip. Emma Schurfranz has also been a strong attacking option (3.48 kills/set). McKinley Ferguson operates as the starting setter, while Shelby Dennis has collected 104 digs in 23 sets played (4.52). Olivia Burrage and Claire Parsons have totaled 29.0 and 22.0 blocks, respectively.
Western Michigan remains untouched at 7-0 overall, sweeping wins in its hosted invitational and at the 2023 University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Invitational. Seniors Logan Case and Keona Salesman were recently named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Setter and Offensive Player of the Week in back-to-back occasions (Aug. 28 and Sept. 4). Meggie King is second in total kills (80) and Andelyn Simkins brings experience as a senior at the libero position. The Broncos have finished with 53 or more kills in four of the first seven matches.
A squad that also played in the 2023 UCF Challenge, going 1-1, Mississippi State has begun its fall slate at 4-1. Nine returners make up the Bulldogs' roster, including defensive specialist Lauren Myrick, who was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 28 – the first such honor of her time in Starkville. Alexa Fortin Goede, Zoe Gonzales, Karli Schmidt and Amina Shackelford have all transferred in, while a quartet of Erin Kline, Mary Neal, Arissa Smith and Ashley Sturzoiu act as a freshmen core.
Up Next
Wake Forest will wrap its road stretch in-state next weekend, making the trip to Davidson College for the Wildcats' 2023 invitational (Sept. 15-16). The Deacs are primed to take on App State and Davidson on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
The Demon Deacons will again play three matches in three days – beginning with a Friday evening tilt against the host Owls. On Saturday afternoon, they'll face undefeated Western Michigan before turning around for Sunday against SEC foe Mississippi State.
Fans can follow along for each contest through live stats, and the Wake Forest-Kennesaw State Friday matchup (Sept. 8) will be streamed on ESPN+.
Wake Forest sits at 6-0 overall, its best start within a single season since 2019. The team is tied with Virginia Tech for the second-best mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
2023 Kennesaw State Invitational Schedule
Friday, Sept. 8
Wake Forest at Kennesaw State – 7 p.m. ET
Saturday, Sept. 9
Wake Forest vs. Western Michigan – 3 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 10
Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State – 3 p.m. ET
Last Time Out
This past weekend, Wake Forest went 3-0 while partaking in Central Florida's hosted 2023 UCF Challenge.
Match One (Friday, Sept. 1) – Wake Forest 3, Alabama State 1
Wake Forest started its weekend stay in Orlando on a strong note, sweeping Alabama State in a 3-1 finish last Friday evening.
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.
Olivia Franke tied her season-high in kills (9), on a team-best .353 hitting percentage.
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.
Match Two (Saturday, Sept. 2) – Wake Forest 3, UCF 2
Intensity persisted all night long in Orlando during Wake Forest volleyball's second day in the 2023 UCF Challenge, as the team was tested against the host Knights. Keeping a balanced fight through five sets, the Demon Deacons rallied through for a 3-2 victory to stay undefeated this fall.
The win included Wake Forest handing UCF its first loss of the season, along with snapping a 22-match win streak at home that began back in 2021.
Sophomore setter Rian Baker reached a new career-high in kills during the evening, finishing with 48. She surpassed her previous mark of 46 set against Kennesaw State last year (Aug. 27, 2022). Baker also had eight digs and three kills.
Making her first collegiate start, freshman outside hitter Olivia Fish had herself a game – leading all individuals with 17 kills on an exceptional .485 hitting mark. Paige Crawford was close to recording a double-double: 15 kills and nine digs. The sophomore's total in kills was her third-highest of the year.
Freshman Ava Carney stepped up in the moment to provide the match-winning point on an outside kill, finishing with 11 of those.
Emmy Ogogor was a steady two-way presence, tallying nine kills (.571) and a team-high five blocks.
For the fourth time in her first five appearances, Emma Farrell was the match leader in digs (19). Kalani Whillock contributed nine of her own.
Wake Forest collected more digs than the Knights (55-52).
Match Three (Sunday, Sept. 3) – Wake Forest 3, FIU 0
Tournament play for Wake Forest volleyball officially came to a close on Sunday afternoon, as the Demon Deacons defeated Florida International in a 3-0 sweep.
Paige Crawford was a usual enforcer, leading her Deacs in kills for the third straight day (14). She again played a strong defensive role as well, collecting eight digs.
Making her first start with the Deacons, graduate student Ava Torrance led all in digs (13), reaching a new career high, and added two service aces. Emma Farrell contributed 12 digs.
Ava Carney and Emmy Ogogor were both efficient hitters during the afternoon, posting 12 kills (.478) and 10 kills (.438), respectively. Ogogor also made five blocks.
Rian Baker paced the offense with 36 assists – her fourth showing of 35 or more in that category.
Wake Forest outperformed FIU in points, kills, aces, assists, and digs.
New Milestone
Olivia Franke reached the 500th kill of her career in last Friday's match versus Alabama State (Sept. 1), occurring in the midst of the third set. The senior middle blocker currently ranks fourth on the roster in kills. A reliable piece, Franke has started and appeared in every single match throughout her time at Wake Forest, tracing back to the 2020-21 campaign. She was one of three Deacs to start in all 31 matches back in 2022, ultimately leading the team in hitting percentage (.320).
"I am very honored to be a part of Olivia Franke's 500th Wake Forest kill!" said head coach Randi Smart. "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!"
Super Sophomores
Early in the fall campaign, a sophomore trio of Emma Farrell, Paige Crawford and Rian Baker have paced the Deacs during the team's stellar start.
Named the ACC Defensive Player of the Week following week one (Aug. 28), Farrell continues to be Wake Forest's primary libero, leading with a 4.09 digs-per-set average that ranks seventh in the conference. The Norcross, Georgia, native also stands second on the roster in assists and service aces. In four of her first six appearances, Farrell has led all individuals in digs within each single match.
After leading the Deacons in total kills and kills-per-set a season ago, Crawford has maintained her place as an anchor within the team's attacking tempo. Four of Wake Forest's six contests have seen the heady outside hitter lead all in kills, reaching double-figures in all but one. Crawford has also made a jump on the defensive side, plugging in eight or more kills in her last four performances.
Having taken over the setter spot after making 14 starts in 28 appearances as a freshman in 2022, Baker has totaled 229 assists thus far. Her 10.41 assists-per-set average is second-best among all ACC individuals. Baker recently notched a new career high in assists for a single match, finishing with 48, along with eight digs, in Wake Forest's five-set victory at Central Florida (Sept. 2) that snapped the Knights' 22-match win streak at home. In her last four showings, the Rolling Meadows, Illinois, native has handed out 36 or more assists. Along with Crawford, Baker is one of two Deacs to have recorded a double-double this year, posting 43 assists and 10 digs versus Grand Canyon (Aug. 27).
Through Two Weeks
Wake Forest rests in the top-five within a few ACC team statistical lists:
| Statistical Category | Ranking | Per-Set Average/Percentage |
| Hitting Percentage | 3rd | .300 |
| Assists | 5th | 12.36 |
| Kills | 5th | 13.82 |
Individually, a quartet of Deacs remains in various ACC top-10 sections:
| Player | Statistical Category | Ranking | Per-Set Average/Percentage |
| Rian Baker | Assists | 2nd | 10.41 |
| Emmy Ogogor | Hitting Percentage | 4th | .467 |
| Paige Crawford | Points | 5th | 4.14 |
| Paige Crawford | Kills | 6th | 3.64 |
| Emma Farrell | Digs | 7th | 4.09 |
Additional Notes
- The Deacons are one of 33 NCAA teams remaining undefeated this fall.
- Wake Forest has represented well in invitationals held during the first two weeks, having multiple individuals earn both Most Valuable Player and All-Tournament Team honors:
- Emma Farrell – MVP of 2023 Wake Forest Invitational
- Paige Crawford – 2023 Wake Forest Invitational All-Tournament Team selection
- Paige Crawford – MVP of 2023 UCF Challenge
- Emmy Ogogor – 2023 UCF Challenge All-Tournament Team selection
- The Deacs hold an advantage over their opponents in four major categories:
- Kills: 304 to 226
- Assists: 272 to 207
- Digs: 302 to 263
- Blocks: 41.0 to 37.0
- Through 34 total matches played since August 2022, Crawford needs only 78 kills to reach 500 for her collegiate career.
- Freshman outside hitter Ava Carney has recorded 11 or more kills in each of her last four appearances.
Series History
Versus Kennesaw State
- Series: Wake Forest leads, 1-0
- Last Time: Aug. 27, 2022
- Result: W, 3-1
Versus Western Michigan
- Series: Wake Forest leads, 2-1
- Last Time: Sept. 4, 2009
- Result: L, 0-3
Versus Mississippi State
- Series: Wake Forest leads, 1-0
- Last Time: Aug. 31, 2001
- Result: W, 3-0
Scouting the Opposition
Coming off wins over East Tennessee State and Tennessee Tech, Kennesaw State is 4-2 overall. Five starters are back in the Owls' rotation, led by the 2022 Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) Freshman of the Year, Manu Johnsen. The sophomore outside hitter leads the team with a 4.17 kills-per-set clip. Emma Schurfranz has also been a strong attacking option (3.48 kills/set). McKinley Ferguson operates as the starting setter, while Shelby Dennis has collected 104 digs in 23 sets played (4.52). Olivia Burrage and Claire Parsons have totaled 29.0 and 22.0 blocks, respectively.
Western Michigan remains untouched at 7-0 overall, sweeping wins in its hosted invitational and at the 2023 University of Illinois-Chicago (UIC) Invitational. Seniors Logan Case and Keona Salesman were recently named the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Setter and Offensive Player of the Week in back-to-back occasions (Aug. 28 and Sept. 4). Meggie King is second in total kills (80) and Andelyn Simkins brings experience as a senior at the libero position. The Broncos have finished with 53 or more kills in four of the first seven matches.
A squad that also played in the 2023 UCF Challenge, going 1-1, Mississippi State has begun its fall slate at 4-1. Nine returners make up the Bulldogs' roster, including defensive specialist Lauren Myrick, who was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 28 – the first such honor of her time in Starkville. Alexa Fortin Goede, Zoe Gonzales, Karli Schmidt and Amina Shackelford have all transferred in, while a quartet of Erin Kline, Mary Neal, Arissa Smith and Ashley Sturzoiu act as a freshmen core.
Up Next
Wake Forest will wrap its road stretch in-state next weekend, making the trip to Davidson College for the Wildcats' 2023 invitational (Sept. 15-16). The Deacs are primed to take on App State and Davidson on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
Players Mentioned
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
DS
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/OH
/ Women's VolleyballFootball Media Availability (9/23/25)
Tuesday, September 23
Wake Forest Football Head Coach Jake Dickert Press Conference (Week 5)
Tuesday, September 23
Coach Jake Dickert Press Conference (Sept. 22, 2025)
Monday, September 22
Football Media Availability (9/18/25)
Thursday, September 18