Friday, September 20
Winston-Salem, N.C.
7 P.M.
Wake Forest University
vs
App State
Photo by: Helen McGinnis / Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Hosts In-State Opponents for Final Non-Conference Weekend
9/19/2024 10:55:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Watch (vs. App State)Live Stats (vs. App State)Watch (vs. Davidson)Live Stats (vs. Davidson)Match Notes
The Demon Deacons are back home in Varsity Arena for week four of fall 2024.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Having spent the last two weeks on the road, Wake Forest volleyball makes its return to Varsity Arena this weekend for two final non-conference matchups of the 2024 regular season. The Demon Deacons are set to first host App State (5-4) on Friday night (Sept. 20) at 7 p.m. ET before taking on Davidson (4-5) for a 2 p.m. ET contest during Sunday afternoon (Sept. 22).
Friday and Sunday's matches can be viewed on ACC Network Extra.
The Deacs last faced both of these in-state opponents during Davidson's 2023 Wildcat Invitational, capturing five-set wins.
Wake Forest stands at 6-3 overall, coming off a 3-0 weekend sweep at South Carolina's hosted invitational. During their three-day stay in Columbia, the Deacons earned victories over the host Gamecocks, Stetson and Florida International.
The Matches
Friday, Sept. 20
Wake Forest vs. App State – 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 22
Wake Forest vs. Davidson – 2 p.m. ET
Fan Information and Weekend Promotions
There will continue to be free admission for general admission seating for all home volleyball single matches. The team plays each home contest in Varsity Arena, located on the second level of Reynolds Gymnasium (21 Wingate Rd, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109).
Wake Forest Athletics is committed to providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina within a safe and fan-friendly environment. Celebrating National Pepperoni Pizza Day, Friday's match versus App State (Sept. 20) will include free pizza for the first 200 students to arrive. On Sunday afternoon (Sept. 22), there will be a 'National Girls Night In' theme, featuring a sleeping mask giveaway.
Accessibility Information
Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at all home events, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all fans. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at volleyball home matches this fall, fans can access closed captions here for the public address announcer and in-venue content.
Last Time Out
Friday, Sept. 13 – Wake Forest 3, Florida International 2
Taking the court last Friday for day one of South Carolina's hosted invitational, Wake Forest faced Florida International in a head-to-head contest, ending with the Deacons on top in a 3-2 victory (23-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 15-12).
Three Deacs reached new career highs in kills during the day – Jaime Santer (20), Olivia Franke (19) and Laila Ricks (16). It was the first time this season in which multiple players registered over 15 kills in a single showing. Coming out with an aggressive tone from the very start, Franke was efficient in her play, tallying a .441 hitting percentage.
Santer was just short of a double-double, adding nine digs to her standout performance. Along with her powerful hits, Ricks was a force at the net – totaling eight blocks. Franke chipped in six blocks.
Behind Tina Grkovic's match-high 12 blocks, Wake Forest steadied an 18-5 advantage in blocks over the Panthers.
Becca Bellows finished with 32 assists for a new personal-best mark, along with eight digs and two service aces. Rian Baker secured her second double-double of the season – 21 assists and 12 digs.
Emma Farrell notched her second career double-double and first of the season – 15 digs and 10 assists. Her last one happened as a freshman at Duke on Nov. 16, 2022. Sahara Maruska plugged in 10 digs.
Saturday, Sept. 14 – Wake Forest 3, Stetson 0
Wake Forest volleyball brought immediate energy to the floor during Saturday afternoon, matching up with Stetson University for day two of South Carolina's invitational. The Deacs shined in a dominant team effort, routing the Hatters in a 3-0 sweep (25-10, 25-19, 25-10).
Tina Grkovic was a notable, two-way presence – finishing with a match-high 10 kills on 12 attempts and zero errors for an outstanding .833 hitting percentage. The Belgrade, Serbia, native also led all individuals in blocks (8).
Likewise to Grkovic, Dior Charles was efficient and effective in the middle – going 7-of-9 on attacks (.667) and adding a pair of blocks. Paige Crawford made standout plays from the jump, tallying eight kills, six digs and two blocks.
Becca Bellows and Rian Baker collected 19 and 15 assists, respectively. Laila Ricks contributed six kills and six blocks. Emma Farrell ended as the match leader in digs (10).
Sunday, Sept. 15 – Wake Forest 3, South Carolina 1
Back in action for the final day of South Carolina's invitational, Wake Forest stepped up to the challenge in taking on the host Gamecocks in front of a full house. Feeding off each other's energy, the 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, winning the last two meetings.
Wall Up
As a team, Wake Forest currently is tied for third in blocks within the conference, holding a 2.74 per-set average through nine matches played and 38 total sets. Tina Grkovic ranks second among all individuals (1.53/set), having totaled 25 blocks in three matches this past weekend at the South Carolina invitational (Sept. 13-15). Laila Ricks stands second on the roster with 40 of her own. The Deacons have done well in outperforming opponents in blocks thus far, 104.0 to 61.0.
Series History
Versus App State
Series: Wake Forest leads, 17-11
Last Time: Sept. 15, 2023
Result: W, 3-2
Versus Davidson
Series: Wake Forest leads, 10-3
Last Time: Sept. 16, 2023
Result: W, 3-2
Scouting the Opposition
App State is 5-4 overall, having most recently hosted its Black & Gold Invitational (Sept. 12-14) and winning matches over Winthrop and Wofford. Maya Winterhoff, a Preseason All-Sun Belt pick, leads the Mountaineers in both kills (108) and blocks (39.0), while Kenday Roper is first in both digs and service aces. Wake Forest is on a three-match win streak versus App State.
Sitting at 4-5 this season, Davidson is coming off an appearance in Queens University's invitational (Sept. 13-14), going 2-1 in the event and grabbing wins over the host Royals and USC Upstate. The Wildcats will face App State on Saturday (Sept. 21) before their Sunday matchup with Wake Forest. Upperclassmen Isabel Decker and Jordan Hummel pace the team in kills and digs/service aces, respectively.
Up Next
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) action begins for Wake Forest next weekend, with the Deacs holding their conference opener at home on Friday night (Sept. 27) versus Virginia. A Sunday afternoon matchup with Virginia Tech (Sept. 29) will then round out the weekend.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
Friday and Sunday's matches can be viewed on ACC Network Extra.
The Deacs last faced both of these in-state opponents during Davidson's 2023 Wildcat Invitational, capturing five-set wins.
Wake Forest stands at 6-3 overall, coming off a 3-0 weekend sweep at South Carolina's hosted invitational. During their three-day stay in Columbia, the Deacons earned victories over the host Gamecocks, Stetson and Florida International.
The Matches
Friday, Sept. 20
Wake Forest vs. App State – 7 p.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 22
Wake Forest vs. Davidson – 2 p.m. ET
Fan Information and Weekend Promotions
There will continue to be free admission for general admission seating for all home volleyball single matches. The team plays each home contest in Varsity Arena, located on the second level of Reynolds Gymnasium (21 Wingate Rd, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27109).
Wake Forest Athletics is committed to providing the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina within a safe and fan-friendly environment. Celebrating National Pepperoni Pizza Day, Friday's match versus App State (Sept. 20) will include free pizza for the first 200 students to arrive. On Sunday afternoon (Sept. 22), there will be a 'National Girls Night In' theme, featuring a sleeping mask giveaway.
Accessibility Information
Wake Forest Athletics strives to provide content at all home events, social media and on GoDeacs.com that is accessible to all fans. In the continued effort to improve accessibility of the technology and digital content at volleyball home matches this fall, fans can access closed captions here for the public address announcer and in-venue content.
Last Time Out
Friday, Sept. 13 – Wake Forest 3, Florida International 2
Taking the court last Friday for day one of South Carolina's hosted invitational, Wake Forest faced Florida International in a head-to-head contest, ending with the Deacons on top in a 3-2 victory (23-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 15-12).
Three Deacs reached new career highs in kills during the day – Jaime Santer (20), Olivia Franke (19) and Laila Ricks (16). It was the first time this season in which multiple players registered over 15 kills in a single showing. Coming out with an aggressive tone from the very start, Franke was efficient in her play, tallying a .441 hitting percentage.
Santer was just short of a double-double, adding nine digs to her standout performance. Along with her powerful hits, Ricks was a force at the net – totaling eight blocks. Franke chipped in six blocks.
Behind Tina Grkovic's match-high 12 blocks, Wake Forest steadied an 18-5 advantage in blocks over the Panthers.
Becca Bellows finished with 32 assists for a new personal-best mark, along with eight digs and two service aces. Rian Baker secured her second double-double of the season – 21 assists and 12 digs.
Emma Farrell notched her second career double-double and first of the season – 15 digs and 10 assists. Her last one happened as a freshman at Duke on Nov. 16, 2022. Sahara Maruska plugged in 10 digs.
Saturday, Sept. 14 – Wake Forest 3, Stetson 0
Wake Forest volleyball brought immediate energy to the floor during Saturday afternoon, matching up with Stetson University for day two of South Carolina's invitational. The Deacs shined in a dominant team effort, routing the Hatters in a 3-0 sweep (25-10, 25-19, 25-10).
Tina Grkovic was a notable, two-way presence – finishing with a match-high 10 kills on 12 attempts and zero errors for an outstanding .833 hitting percentage. The Belgrade, Serbia, native also led all individuals in blocks (8).
Likewise to Grkovic, Dior Charles was efficient and effective in the middle – going 7-of-9 on attacks (.667) and adding a pair of blocks. Paige Crawford made standout plays from the jump, tallying eight kills, six digs and two blocks.
Becca Bellows and Rian Baker collected 19 and 15 assists, respectively. Laila Ricks contributed six kills and six blocks. Emma Farrell ended as the match leader in digs (10).
Sunday, Sept. 15 – Wake Forest 3, South Carolina 1
Back in action for the final day of South Carolina's invitational, Wake Forest stepped up to the challenge in taking on the host Gamecocks in front of a full house. Feeding off each other's energy, the 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, winning the last two meetings.
Wall Up
As a team, Wake Forest currently is tied for third in blocks within the conference, holding a 2.74 per-set average through nine matches played and 38 total sets. Tina Grkovic ranks second among all individuals (1.53/set), having totaled 25 blocks in three matches this past weekend at the South Carolina invitational (Sept. 13-15). Laila Ricks stands second on the roster with 40 of her own. The Deacons have done well in outperforming opponents in blocks thus far, 104.0 to 61.0.
Series History
Versus App State
Series: Wake Forest leads, 17-11
Last Time: Sept. 15, 2023
Result: W, 3-2
Versus Davidson
Series: Wake Forest leads, 10-3
Last Time: Sept. 16, 2023
Result: W, 3-2
Scouting the Opposition
App State is 5-4 overall, having most recently hosted its Black & Gold Invitational (Sept. 12-14) and winning matches over Winthrop and Wofford. Maya Winterhoff, a Preseason All-Sun Belt pick, leads the Mountaineers in both kills (108) and blocks (39.0), while Kenday Roper is first in both digs and service aces. Wake Forest is on a three-match win streak versus App State.
Sitting at 4-5 this season, Davidson is coming off an appearance in Queens University's invitational (Sept. 13-14), going 2-1 in the event and grabbing wins over the host Royals and USC Upstate. The Wildcats will face App State on Saturday (Sept. 21) before their Sunday matchup with Wake Forest. Upperclassmen Isabel Decker and Jordan Hummel pace the team in kills and digs/service aces, respectively.
Up Next
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) action begins for Wake Forest next weekend, with the Deacs holding their conference opener at home on Friday night (Sept. 27) versus Virginia. A Sunday afternoon matchup with Virginia Tech (Sept. 29) will then round out the weekend.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
Players Mentioned
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