Crawford and Maruska Shine, Deacons Secure Undefeated Weekend with Sunday Win over Gamecocks

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Back in action for the final day of the 2024 University of South Carolina Invitational, Wake Forest volleyball (6-3) stepped up to the challenge in taking on the host Gamecocks in front of a full house. Feeding off each other's energy, the Demon Deacons caught fire in the final two sets to finish on a victorious 3-1 note (25-23, 21-25, 25-17, 25-18).

The Deacs finished South Carolina's invitational on an undefeated 3-0 mark, grabbing wins over Florida International (Sept. 13), Stetson (Sept. 14) and the Gamecocks throughout the weekend in Columbia.

Wake Forest's win ultimately snapped a seven-match win streak for the Gamecocks.

Sunday featured the second time this season in which two Deacs had double-doubles in a single showing: Paige Crawford (15 kills and 14 digs) and Sahara Maruska (14 kills and 12 digs). The standout performances resulted as new season highs in both kills and digs for Maruska, in addition to kills for Crawford. Maruska tallied a .344 hitting percentage while Crawford added three blocks to her line.

Dior Charles recorded a new career high in blocks, leading all individuals with 13 for the afternoon. Laila Ricks had a strong all-around day, posting eight kills, 10 digs (season high) and seven blocks.

Becca Bellows produced 29 assists and eight digs. Emma Farrell chipped in 13 digs while Olivia Murphy and Tina Grkovic tallied seven kills and five blocks, respectively.

Wake Forest bumped its all-time series record versus South Carolina to 5-3 overall, having grabbed the last two meetings.

How it Happened

A lengthy opening rally ended with a Paige Crawford kill to start set one.
- South Carolina then committed an attacking error.
After Sahara Maruska tacked a service ace, Wake Forest found itself ahead 6-1.
- The Gamecocks called for the first timeout of the day.
Twelve combined rallies were traded in points for both sides, as the Deacs were able to stay a bit comfortable with a five-point lead.
Olivia Murphy checked in to quickly nail a kill before Maruska went off for a few head-turning plays.
- Wake Forest stayed in front, 18-11.
A few errors were suffered from both sides, before South Carolina went on a 7-0 run, trailing 22-20.
- An ace by the Gamecocks on the next possession led to the Deacons huddling up at their bench.
South Carolina then tied the scoreboard with a block, but Laila Ricks answered from the right.
A service error by the host allowed Wake Forest to reach set point.
- Maruska completed the deed on a nice assist from Rian Baker.
Wake Forest took set one on a 25-23 mark.
- Emma Farrell had six digs in the first frame.
South Carolina jumped on a 5-0 start once set two got underway.
Murphy gave the Deacs their first point of the period, as the team quickly found a groove to tie things at 8-8.
- Maruska had three kills during the span of a 9-2 run.
Taking advantage of Gamecock errors on five of six tries, Wake Forest stepped in front, 14-10.
Crawford and Dior Charles posted kills to keep the lead alive through several more rallies, 19-17, as the defensive effort also stood out.
A South Carolina block evened the margin (19-19).
- A 4-1 boost by the team ensued.
The Gamecocks reached set point on a middle kill, winning the frame after a Deacon serving error.
- Crawford had eight kills and eight digs at the time.
Early in set three, a South Carolina hitting error had the score sitting 5-5.
Crawford packed a pair of kills, as neither side stretched far ahead.
With the Gamecocks going up 12-9 after scoring on four of five rallies, Wake Forest took time to regroup.
Tina Grkovic went for an ace and Charles made a big time rejection at the net to create another tied score (12-12).
- Maruska followed with a kill on the next possession.
  - The Houston native played a major part in Wake Forest staying hot, giving the Gamecock defense fits with her powerful swinging.
Enjoying an 8-1 spurt, the Deacs found themselves ahead, 17-13.
A Grkovic block forced South Carolina to call for a timeout, as Wake Forest rang three more unanswered points.
A final 4-1 run finished off set three in the Deacs' favor, 25-17.
Wake Forest stayed hot entering the fourth frame, leading 7-1.
Ricks soon clocked a kill to up the advantage to 10-2.
South Carolina responded with a 6-1 push, cutting into the lead, trailing 11-8.
Crawford went on an absolute tear, piling up kills and keeping Wake Forest in control, 20-13.
- Grkovic and Ricks then added a kill apiece.
Set up on the right side by Baker, Maruska put her Deacs at match point.
South Carolina gave one final burst of effort, but Charles put an end to the match with a solo block, securing the victory.
- Wake Forest took set four on a 25-18 decision.
The Deacons knocked off South Carolina, 3-1.

Standout Stats

Dior Charles' 13 blocks became a new career high for the sophomore middle blocker, surpassing her previous best mark of seven.
As a team, Wake Forest finished with 18 blocks – marking the fourth time this season in which the team registered double-figures in blocks for a single match.
- The 18 blocks additionally tied as a season high for the Deacs.
Paige Crawford and Sahara Maruska each notched a double-double on Sunday while also landing a new season high in one or more categories:
- Paige Crawford – 15 kills (season high), 14 digs (tied season high) and three blocks
- Sahara Maruska – 14 kills (season high) and 12 digs (season high)
Wake Forest bested South Carolina in nearly every team statistic:
- Points: 77.0 to 63.0
- Kills: 52 to 46
- Blocks: 18 to 9
- Assists: 50 to 45
- Digs: 64 to 58

Additional Notes

Sunday's matchup involved the eighth all-time meeting between the Deacons and Gamecocks.
- The last one happened on Wake Forest's home floor on Sept. 3, 2022, resulting in a 3-1 win for the Deacs.
It was the first SEC win for Wake Forest since Sept. 10, 2023 when the team swept Mississippi State in Kennesaw State's hosted invitational.
Sunday capped a third non-conference weekend sweep since the start of fall 2023 season.
Tina Grkovic racked up 25 blocks in 12 sets played through the invitational's three matches.
- Becca Bellows totaled 80 assists for the weekend, also appearing in 12 sets.
Up to date in the head coach Randi Smart era, Wake Forest has totaled a 42-11 record versus non-conference competition.

From Coach Smart
"What a great win to finish out our weekend. I was proud of the focus and fight that we brought to the court against a very, very talented South Carolina team. We have a lot of respect for them and it was great to see us step up to the challenge. We are continuing to compete for each other, and positive results are showing. Building off of this and starting to prepare for one more weekend before conference play will be key. It feels like we have been on the road for a while – looking forward to getting back in front of our fans!"

Up Next
A final weekend of non-conference play is set for Wake Forest at home, as the Deacs will host two in-state opponents. App State is up first for a Friday evening tilt (Sept. 20) at 7 p.m. ET before a Davidson matchup happens on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 22) at 2 p.m. ET.

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Crawford and Maruska Shine, Deacons Secure Undefeated Weekend with Sunday Win over Gamecocks

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Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Becca Bellows

Dior Charles

Paige Crawford

Emma Farrell

Tina Grkovic

Sahara Maruska

Olivia Murphy

Laila Ricks

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