Trio of Deacs Go for Season Highs in Battle Versus No. 21 Florida State

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest volleyball took the court one final time for the 2024 fall regular season, hosting No. 21 Florida State inside Varsity Arena on Friday afternoon (Nov. 29). The Demon Deacons were able to snag a set-three victory but ultimately fell in a 3-1 finish to the Seminoles (21-9, 13-7).

Three individuals erupted for new season highs during the day – Becca Bellows (43 assists), Paige Crawford (20 kills) and Sahara Maruska (18 kills).

Orchestrating the Deacon offense, Bellows reached over 40 assists for the first time this year. The freshman also added seven digs and a service ace.

Crawford tallied her best hitting percentage in a performance of 20-plus attacks, finishing with a .474 clip. Likewise to Bellows, Maruska chipped in seven digs as well.

Emma Farrell led all individuals with 20 digs – her seventh showing of 20 or more this year. The junior libero also contributed seven assists.

Playing in their final collegiate matches, Olivia Franke and Laila Ricks had nine kills apiece. The latter totaled a .368 attacking percentage and added two blocks to her line.

Wake Forest finished the regular season with a 13-18 overall record, going 5-15 versus Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents.

How it Happened

After Becca Bellows set up Laila Ricks for the Deacons' first point in set one, Sahara Maruska handed out a service ace on the next play.
Another kill by Ricks and one by Olivia Franke gave Wake Forest a 4-3 start.
Maruska created her own momentum with some powerful swings, soon upping her team's advantage to 9-6.
Traded points took over the next several minutes, as Florida State took a slight 15-14 lead once the media timeout was reached.
- Maruska evened the board again with a sharp swing fresh out of the break.
The Seminoles were able to tack on a 4-1 run but Wake again had an answer, as Jaime Santer laced an ace.
Things were tied again (20-20) before Franke made a slide for a kill.
- Two possessions later, Florida State earned a successful challenge to step back in front, 22-21.
  - An ace by the visitors followed, leading to a Deacon timeout.
Maruska knocked in a ball, and Florida State did the same to reach set point.
A Deacon attacking error allowed the Seminoles to take set one, 25-22.
- Emma Farrell got off to a fast defensive start, scooping eight digs in the frame.
- Maruska and Paige Crawford had five kills apiece.
An ace put Florida State ahead 5-3 in the second set.
Crawford continued her fire, nailing balls to give her Deacs the lead back (7-6).
Maruska led the way through a series of 'seesaw play,' clocking a handful of kills.
Crawford made punches on three of six possessions to help create a 3-0 run, leading right into the media timeout.
- Wake led 15-13 at the time.
Crawford and Franke took turns on hits, but the Seminoles were able to make things even on an 18-18 note.
- The Seminoles next scored four unanswered before the Deacons signaled for a timeout.
Two serving errors by Wake led to Florida State taking set two on a 25-20 decision.
- Crawford had a dozen kills through two periods of play, while Bellows stood at 27 assists and five digs.
After Ricks made a block to open the third, Bellows delivered an ace.
Wake caught fire collectively, stacking a 6-1 lead before forcing a Seminole timeout.
Putting down kills within a 4-1 spurt, Florida State cut into the deficit, down 8-7.
- The Deacs regrouped at their bench.
Dior Charles and Franke gave Wake a spark in the middle, helping keep things tightly played at 15 all.
Three of four rallies soon went to the Deacs, resulting in a 19-17 gain.
A dump kill and hit from the left side by the Seminoles tied the margin again (20-20).
Ricks and Franke (solo block) gave Wake additional points before Crawford put her squad at set point with a powerful kill.
Franke put away set three on a middle hit, 25-23.
- Farrell had 17 digs through three sets.
Florida State earned the first three points of set four before suffering a pair of errors.
- Crawford and Ricks then chipped in a kill apiece.
Seeing the Seminoles go up 8-4, Wake took another floor break.
- Three points in a row, all brought by Maruska, gave the team a groove.
By the set's midpoint, Florida State led 15-11.
- Coming out of a timeout, the team posted a kill through the middle and ace to extend its lead to 18-13.
The two sides went back and forth a bit longer, but the Seminoles were able to secure a 25-18 win in the fourth, winning the match.
Wake Forest fell, 3-1.

Standout Stats

Outside hitters Paige Crawford and Sahara Maruska each notched new season highs in kills with 20 and 18, respectively.
- Four Deacs had nine or more kills:
  - Paige Crawford – 20
  - Sahara Maruska – 18
  - Olivia Franke – 9
  - Laila Ricks – 9
A quartet of Wake individuals collected seven or more digs:
- Emma Farrell – 20
- Dhru Lalaji – 8 (tied season high)
- Becca Bellows – 7
- Sahara Maruska – 7
  - Wake Forest outdug Florida State, 55-49.
The Deacons outperformed the No. 21 Seminoles in kills (61 to 57) and assists (61 to 56).

From Coach Smart
"Thank you to all of our fans and supporters this year. Also, another thank you to our seniors and graduates – they have been a key piece of this special group. I felt we gave some of our best all-around effort today – huge days by our hitters. Defensively, we kept the ball alive very well and sacrificed our bodies during plenty of rallies. Becca had a big day and we were very connected through several stretches.

"There is a lot to take away and build upon moving forward. It will be important for us to be ready for this incoming offseason – trusting our training and continuing to grow."

Fall 2024 Season Highlights

The Deacs went 8-3 against non-conference competition this year, as the mark tied for the second-best clip within the Randi Smart era.
- Wake Forest has won at least eight non-conference, regular-season matches in each of the last three seasons.
Up to date in the Smart era, the program has totaled a 44-11 record versus non-conference opponents.
- Additionally, the program has gone 15-2 at home against such foes during that span.
By the regular season's conclusion, three Deacons held top-10 spots in different statistical categories within the Atlantic Coast Conference:
- Emma Farrell – 6th in digs (4.05/set)
- Dior Charles – 6th in blocks (1.23/set)
- Tina Grkovic – 7th in blocks (1.22/set)
  - Wake Forest was one of two teams to have multiple players in the top 10 for blocks.
Wake Forest finished seventh in blocks as a team among league member schools, totaling a 2.45 per-set average.
The fall saw a handful of individuals notch personal milestones:
- Emma Farrell – 1,000 career digs (Sept. 7)
- Randi Smart – 200 career wins (Sept. 7)
- Sahara Maruska – 1,000 career kills (Oct. 18)
- Rian Baker – 2,000 career assists (Nov. 16)
- Sahara Maruska – 1,000 career digs (Nov. 16)
- Paige Crawford – 1,000 career kills (Nov. 24)
Emma Farrell's 478 season digs now ranks as the 12th-best mark in program history.
Paige Crawford's 39 season aces tied with Hanna Lee (2015) for 14th best in program history.
Middle blockers Dior Charles and Tina Grkovic also shook the program records in single-season total blocks:
- Dior Charles – 133 (tied with Kristen Grissom in 2013 for fourth-best).
- Tina Grkovic – 118 (ranks 13th in all-time history).
Olivia Franke finished her collegiate career with 305 total blocks, moving to 11th in the all-time program records.
- Franke's 254 assisted blocks also now ranks 10th.
On Nov. 22, in a match versus No. 1 Pitt, the program set a new single-match home attendance record of 866 inside Varsity Arena.
- The total surpassed the previous mark of 847 that happened earlier this season on Sept. 27 versus Virginia.

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Trio of Deacs Go for Season Highs in Battle Versus No. 21 Florida State

Team Stats

Paige Crawford

Maruska Sahara

Franke Olivia

Ricks Laila

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Becca Bellows

Dior Charles

Paige Crawford

Emma Farrell

Olivia Franke

Tina Grkovic

Dhru Lalaji

Sahara Maruska

Laila Ricks

Jaime Santer

Wake Forest Athletics

Trio of Deacs Go for Season Highs in Battle Versus No. 21 Florida State

Related News

Team Stats

Game Leaders

Paige Crawford

Maruska Sahara

Franke Olivia

Ricks Laila

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Becca Bellows

Dior Charles

Paige Crawford

Emma Farrell

Olivia Franke

Tina Grkovic

Dhru Lalaji

Sahara Maruska

Laila Ricks

Jaime Santer

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