Deacs Earn Halloween Home Sweep Over Golden Bears

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest volleyball (10-12, 4-7 ACC) finished off October with dominance on Friday night, routing the California Golden Bears (6-15, 3-8 ACC) in a 3-0 victory inside Varsity Arena. The win kicked off the Demon Deacons' ongoing two-week homestand.

Senior Paige Crawford turned heads as the match progressed, finishing with 17 kills to lead all individuals. The outside hitter had another efficient performance with a .333 hitting percentage and added three blocks to tie her career high.

Freshman Kelis Hawkins was a force on the defensive side of the net, totaling eight blocks for her best single-match mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Senior Rian Baker secured her fourth double-double of the fall, recording 16 assists and a season-high 13 digs.

Junior Patrycja Lagida and graduate student Ryleigh Whitekettle chipped in seven kills apiece, with the latter also contributing three blocks.

Senior Emma Farrell collected a team-high 14 digs, in addition to six assists, while sophomore Dhru Lalaji tallied seven digs.

As a team, Wake Forest hit .257 for the night.

How it Happened

Sanaa Williams and Sadie Poeck posted a kill apiece to open the scoring for Wake in set one.
The first few rallies were traded, resulting in a 4-4 tie early.
Patrycja Lagida soon checked in for the Deacs and clocked a kill.
Dhru Lalaji lined an ace to create a one-point game, with the Deacs narrowly trailing 9-8.
- California responded with a 3-1 run.
After the Golden Bears scored a third straight point, Wake called for a timeout, down 14-10.
The Demon Deacons' hitters took over, mounting a 5-1 push.
- A hit by Lagida put the team back in front, 17-16.
Both teams kept a steady fight, as California was able to step ahead again with a 20-18 advantage.
Lalaji answered with another ace and kills by Williams and Paige Crawford ensued.
A Golden Bear attacking error late gave Wake the edge back, 22-20.
Rian Baker set up Poeck on the right side for set point.
Crawford put away the first on a final hammer, 25-22.
- Emma Farrell collected 10 digs in the opening set - her most in a single-set within ACC play this season.
In a similar fashion to the first, set two began closely played and knotted at 4 all.
Crawford then began a string of four unanswered points for the Deacs, chipping in an ace and kill.
California scored twice on three tries before Wake jumped on another spurt, as three different players pounded a ball.
- The Deacs led 12-7 at the time in set two.
Poeck made a pair of nice plays to help bump her squad's lead to 16-9 before California regrouped at its bench.
The Golden Bears took each of the next three rallies before a Crawford swing stopped the momentum.
Lagida shined down the stretch in her swinging, as Farrell also laced an ace for Wake, increasing the advantage to seven points.
Williams threw a ball down the middle to put her Deacs at set point.
Crawford would again be the one to close out the action, winning set two 25-17 on a final kill.
- Crawford had 10 kills at the time, while Baker sat at 11 assists and nine digs through two frames.
Wake opened set three with a 9-0 mark.
- The Golden Bears subsequently took a timeout.
California made its way on the board with three consecutive points.
The visitors went on to suffer a handful of errors, allowing Wake to leap ahead, 14-5.
California was next successful on a challenge, but the Deacon hitters stayed in control, in addition to Kelis Hawkins' net protection.
Elena Dragani soon checked in for the Deacs, as Crawford piled in additional kills.
Wake took a quick timeout after the Golden Bears earned three points in a row.
- Poeck nailed a ball on the right immediately after.
An attacking error by the visitors placed the Deacs at match point.
Whitekettle finished the deed with one more punch, winning set three on a 25-19 decision and securing the match sweep.
Wake Forest swept California, 3-0.

Standout Stats

The Deacs registered a .417 attacking clip in set two, going 18-for-36 with only three errors.
Three players posted seven or more digs:
- Emma Farrell – 14
- Rian Baker – 13 (season high)
- Dhru Lalaji – 7
Four Deacs totaled three-blocks:
- Kelis Hawkins – 8
- Sadie Poeck – 4
- Paige Crawford – 3 (tied career high)
- Ryleigh Whitekettle – 3

Additional Notes

Wake Forest held its second-ever meeting against the Golden Bears, including its first home matchup.
Totaling 14 assists on Friday night, Becca Bellows is now only 45 away from reaching 1,000 for her career.
Rian Baker has posted three double-doubles throughout ACC play.
Paige Crawford has led the team in kills nine times this year.
Dhru Lalaji made her first start in ACC play on Friday, as her seven digs resulted as her highest mark in a conference contest this season.
Emma Farrell collected 10 digs in the opening set - her most in a single-set within ACC play this season.
Wake Forest's 9-0 start in set three was its best start to a single set this year.
With the victory, Wake Forest moved to 6-3 at home this fall.

From Coach Hulsmeyer
"I was proud of our team for how we came out with a clear focus," said head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer. "All conference matches bring opportunities in different ways, and we wanted to start this home weekend off the right way. As we enter November, we have to continue playing our brand of volleyball and controlling the things we are able to control. Tonight was another step in the right direction and we have a big test on Sunday."

Up Next
Wake Forest opens November on Sunday (Nov. 2) with another showing on its home floor, hosting No. 5 Stanford. The match has a start time of 1 p.m. and will stream on ACC Network Extra.

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Team Stats

Paige Crawford

Ryleigh Whitekettle

Patrycja Lagida

Sanaa Williams

Players Mentioned

Rian Baker

Becca Bellows

Paige Crawford

Elena Dragani

Emma Farrell

Kelis Hawkins

Patrycja Lagida

Dhru Lalaji

Sadie Poeck

Ryleigh Whitekettle

Sanaa Williams

Wake Forest Athletics