Deacs Grab Four-Set Victory Over App State in Home Return

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Back on its home floor after a two-week road stretch, Wake Forest volleyball (7-3) saw a great buzz within Varsity Arena, hosting in-state foe App State (5-5). The Demon Deacons rallied to win three consecutive sets after dropping the first, en route to a 3-1 victory (18-25, 25-18, 25-22, 27-25).

The victory moved Wake Forest to an ongoing four-game win streak.

Rian Baker posted her third double-double of the fall – 27 assists (season high) and 13 digs. Fellow junior Paige Crawford finished with a line of 13 kills, six digs and four service aces. Sahara Maruska totaled 13 kills of her own, along with nine digs.

Dior Charles led all individuals in blocks for the second time in as many matches, totaling seven blocks. The Los Angeles native added seven kills on 11 attacking attempts (.636). Tina Grkovic also went 7-for-11 in her hits, only suffering one error (.545).

Becca Bellows contributed 18 assists and a new season high of three aces. Olivia Murphy chipped in 10 kills and Emma Farrell led Wake Forest in digs (14).

The Deacs stand at 3-1 overall at home this fall.

How it Happened

After the Mountaineers committed a service error, Olivia Franke gave Wake Forest a second point with a kill.
- Tina Grkovic bounced a ball down the middle of the line two possessions later.
After Paige Crawford and Olivia Murphy took turns on hits, set one sat at a 5-5 tie early.
App State was able to net five straight points, leading to a Deacon timeout.
- Wake Forest trailed 10-5 in the first.
Sahara Maruska helped get her squad back into the scoring coulumn with back-to-back kills fresh out of the break.
- Grkovic followed with a service ace.
The Mountaineers scored on six of the next eight total rallies, mainly off kills, to lead 16-10.
A Crawford swing stopped another Mountaineer push (20-13).
- The junior, Maruska and Dior Charles all chipped in additional points for the Deacs through a handful of back-and-forth possessions.
App State was able to close out the opening frame on a right-side hit, winning 25-18.
- Crawford had four kills and four digs in the period.
Wake Forest started set two strong, with Crawford lining an ace (5-1).
Maruska then threw in a pair of kills and a big block by Charles/Laila Ricks bumped the Deacon advantage to 11-4.
Some errors were suffered by the Mountaineers, as the team trailed 18-11.
- Crawford enjoyed a few individual plays during the stretch.
Charles clocked two kills in a row before App State made a late effort with a 4-1 boost, still behind 23-17.
- Wake Forest regrouped at its bench.
As soon as she stepped back onto the floor, Crawford put her Deacs at set point, nailing a ball.
- The junior ultimately secured the second with one more hit, 25-18.
  - Emma Farrell had nine digs through two sets.
Errors again hurt App State as set three unfolded, resulting in a 8-4 start for Wake Forest.
- The Mountaineers were able to stay closely behind, cutting things to 11-9.
Murphy answered with two hammers in a row before Crawford tallied an ace and kill, forcing a timeout by the visitors.
- Wake Forest led 15-10 in set three at the time.
The next eight rallies were all traded, and App State went unsuccessful on a challenge, down 18-14.
Earning points on four of its next five tries, App State again created a two-point game.
- Nevertheless, Grkovic and Murphy posted a kill apiece.
  - The latter then placed Wake Forest at set point.
The Mountaineers scored twice, but Charles and Ricks teamed on a block right on time, giving the Deacs a set-three win, 25-22.
- Rian Baker had 20 assists and 10 digs through three periods.
Two aces by Becca Bellows highlighted a 7-3 nod by the Deacons to open set four.
Crawford continued to lead an aggressive attacking output, keeping the lead active (13-6).
App State was soon able to win a successful challenge but remained behind (16-10).
Six unanswered Mountaineer points had the team trailing by a single point (17-16) before Maruska flew in from the left side.
App State tied the margin at 20 all with a hit.
Grkovic made two big plays in back-to-back fashion with a kill and rejection, giving Wake Forest the slight edge, 22-21.
Maruska went hard for two kills to get the Deacs at 24-23.
- App State connected on a tip kill, and the frame went into extra points.
Maruska and Crawford finished the deed with powerful punches, 27-25 in set four.
Wake Forest defeated App State, 3-1.

Standout Stats

Wake Forest finished with the upper hand over the Mountaineers in five different categories:
- Points: 74.0 to 61.0
- Kills: 57 to 50
- Service aces: 9 to 5
- Blocks: 8 to 6
- Assists: 53 to 49
Rian Baker has now notched a team-best three double-doubles this season:
- Versus Toledo (9/7/24): 19 assists and 11 digs
- Versus FIU (9/13/24): 21 assists and 12 digs
- Versus App State (9/20/24): 27 assists and 13 digs
Paige Crawford tied her career high in service aces, ending with four.

Additional Notes

Friday night featured the 29th all-time meeting between the Deacs and Mountaineers – a series that started back on Oct. 21, 1971.
- Wake Forest has now won the last four matchups, including wins in back-to-back seasons.
The Deacs entered the contest tied for fourth in the ACC in total blocks (2.74/set), finishing with eight against the Mountaineers
- Dior Charles has totaled 22 blocks through the last three matches.
Up to date in the head coach Randi Smart era, Wake Forest has totaled a 43-11 record versus non-conference competition.
- Additionally, the program has gone 14-2 at home against such foes during that span.

From Coach Smart
"We did well in earning a ton of points tonight. App State was aggressive and driven – it is always fun to compete against those players. Our atmosphere was amazing! We love our fans and always appreciate their continuous support. It was a great in-state win. We can't wait to get back on the court versus Davidson on Sunday!"

Up Next
Wake Forest's final non-conference test of the regular season will occur on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 22) when the Deacs host the Davidson Wildcats. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcasted on ACC Network Extra.

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Deacs Grab Four-Set Victory Over App State in Home Return

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Team Stats

Maruska Sahara

Paige Crawford

Olivia Murphy

Grkovic Tina

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Becca Bellows

Dior Charles

Paige Crawford

Emma Farrell

Olivia Franke

Tina Grkovic

Sahara Maruska

Olivia Murphy

Laila Ricks

Wake Forest Athletics

Deacs Grab Four-Set Victory Over App State in Home Return

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Next Event

Team Stats

Game Leaders

Maruska Sahara

Paige Crawford

Olivia Murphy

Grkovic Tina

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Becca Bellows

Dior Charles

Paige Crawford

Emma Farrell

Olivia Franke

Tina Grkovic

Sahara Maruska

Olivia Murphy

Laila Ricks

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