Deacs Go Toe to Toe with Wolfpack, Fall in Five Sets

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A rematch between Wake Forest volleyball and NC State turned into a five-set thriller during Saturday evening (Nov. 16), with the Demon Deacons (13-14, 5-11) hosting the Wolfpack (14-10, 9-7) inside Varsity Arena. Wake Forest gave effort up to the very end but suffered a 3-2 defeat.

The night saw Rian Baker and Sahara Maruska each reach personal milestones. Baker crossed over 2,000 career assists while Maruska notched her 1,000th career dig.

Paige Crawford recorded her third double-double of the year and second within Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) play, finishing with 18 kills and 10 digs. The junior hitter was efficient with a .311 attacking percentage.

Becca Bellows had a double-double of her own, going for 21 assists and 10 digs. The freshman setter also dished out three service aces. Baker posted 20 assists, eight digs and two service aces.

Defensively, Emma Farrell and Dior Charles were standouts with 18 digs and seven blocks, respectively. Olivia Murphy contributed eight kills and four blocks while Olivia Franke chipped in five kills and four blocks.

How it Happened

Rian Baker set up Paige Crawford for a slam to open the Deacons' scoring in set one.
NC State took four of the first five rallies.
- Baker again found a Deac, this time Olivia Murphy on the right side, to stop the momentum.
The two sides traded a handful of kills early, as Crawford put down another ball to cut the deficit to 7-5.
- Emma Farrell lined an ace on the very next possession.
Action picked up quickly, with a flurry of hits coming from both sides.
Dior Charles made two nice plays, including a kill that was assisted by Baker for her 2,000th, and Becca Bellows laced an ace to give Wake Forest a 15-12 lead by the media timeout.
- The Deacs scored three more times in a row fresh out of the break, with Bellows delivering another ace.
  - Wake Forest found itself in the midst of a 9-2 run.
Murphy flew in for a hammer to put the Deacs at set point.
- NC State responded with three straight points, but Crawford was able to put the nail down with a big swing.
Wake Forest took the opening frame, 25-20.
- Crawford went 4-of-9 on attacks with zero errors (.444) and added five digs for a strong two-way start.
- Emma Farrell had six digs in the first.
The Wolfpack led 6-4 to start set two.
Three different Deacs chipped in a kill apiece before Olivia Franke came swinging down the middle to even things at 8-8.
A 6-2 push by NC State put the visitors back in front, leading 15-11 once the media break arrived.
- The Wolfpack scored twice more in consecutive fashion on a pair of aces before committing a service error.
Ricks and Crawford earned some points for Wake Forest, trailing 18-15 and forcing a timeout.
- Murphy followed with back-to-back hits.
  - NC State then mirrored the same, going up 22-18.
Stepping out of a timeout, Charles notched a solo block.
Two final kills by NC State gave the team a 25-20 victory in set two.
- Crawford and Santer had six kills apiece at the time while Charles pieced five blocks.
Using a 4-0 spree, the Wolfpack led 7-4 early in the third.
- Sahara Maruska soon checked in for the Deacs.
Defense saw a surge by Wake Forest, leading into a few blocks as the team trailed 11-7.
The Deacs took advantage of a few NC State errors through a number of rallies, staying close by (16-14).
Baker tossed out two aces in a row, and an attacking error by the Wolfpack saw the margin tied at 19-19.
The set remained tightly played late, even at 21-21.
After six combined rallies again went back and forth, Wake Forest reached set point on an NC State hitting error.
- The Wolfpack then suffered another mistake, a ball handling one, giving the Deacs a 25-23 win in a set-three thriller.
  - Baker had 15 assists through three frames.
NC State got ahead in a slew of fast rallies in set four, leading 14-10.
- Murphy played a big part in giving Wake Forest points with her aggressive attacks.
Wake Forest kept its fight with a 4-1 boost.
- Crawford jumped on a tear, throwing down three kills to tie the scoreboard (17-17).
Franke then took over and a Kendall Phillips ace gave the Deacs a 22-20 gain.
- NC State subsequently called for a timeout.
The Wolfpack tallied two kills to again tie the score (22-22).
- Scoring on four of the final five possessions, NC State took set four on a 25-23 decision.
  - Farrell had 15 digs at the time.
A kill and ace by Crawford gave the Deacs a 3-1 start to the fifth.
NC State soon tied the frame at 4-4.
Maruska chipped in a kill but the Wolfpack was able to take an 8-6 lead before the two teams switched ends.
Crawford took off for two more punches, tying the margin at 8-8.
NC State was able to step back in front, 12-9, before the Deacs regrouped at their bench.
- Crawford clocked her fifth kill of the set once play resumed.
The Wolfpack was able to capture the period with a 15-11 win, securing the match.
Wake Forest fell, 3-2.

Standout Stats

Early in the first set, Rian Baker recorded the 2,000th assist of her career.
- She stands as the eighth program individual to cross the 2,000 mark.
During the fourth frame, Sahara Maruska picked up her 1,000th career dig.
- It was the second season milestone attained by the Deacon, as she reached over 1,000 kills at Louisville last month (Oct. 18).
Paige Crawford's 18 kills tied for a season high that happened earlier this season versus Davidson (Sept. 22, 2024).
Wake Forest finished with an advantage in blocks – 13.0 to 10.0.
- Dior Charles finished with a match-high seven.

Additional Notes

The Deacs and Wolfpack matched up for the 67th time throughout series history on Saturday night.
Ending with four assisted blocks in the match, Olivia Franke now stands 10th all-time in that area throughout program history (252).
Franke and Dior Charles reached over 300 and 200 career blocks, respectively, during the contest.
Paige Crawford totaled 15-plus kills for the seventh time this year.
- The Wimberley, Texas native needs 11 more to reach 1,000 for her career.
Emma Farrell notched 15-plus digs for the 13th time in fall 2024.
Dior Charles has now led Wake in blocks in 12 different outings throughout fall 2024.

From Coach Smart
"We played well – great at times, and missed our offense at times. We saw great contributions from a lot of people, and I'm really proud of the battle that was shown the entire night. We need to keep finding ways to score offensively, and that will be our focus."

Up Next
The Deacons will stay at home next week, bringing in Pitt next Friday (Nov. 22) and SMU on Sunday afternoon for their Senior and Graduates Day.

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Team Stats

Paige Crawford

Olivia Murphy

Santer Jaime

Franke Olivia

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Becca Bellows

Dior Charles

Paige Crawford

Emma Farrell

Olivia Franke

Sahara Maruska

Olivia Murphy

Kendall Phillips

Wake Forest Athletics