Tuesday, September 16
Greenville, N.C.
6 P.M.
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4-5,0-0ACC
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East Carolina
8-1,0-0American
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Wake Forest
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East Carolina
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Wake Forest Suffers Five-Set Road Loss at East Carolina
9/16/2025 9:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
GREENVILLE, N.C. – Wake Forest volleyball opened its fourth week of the fall 2025 season at East Carolina on Tuesday evening inside Williams Arena. The Demon Deacons (4-5, 0-0 ACC) competed through five sets before falling short in a 3-2 defeat to the host Pirates (8-1, 0-0 American).
Graduate student Ryleigh Whitekettle reached a new career high in blocks (8) and a season-best total in kills (14). Freshman Kelis Hawkins also had her best single-match performance in total blocks this fall, finishing with a match-high 11. The middle blocker also chipped in seven kills on a .545 attacking clip.
Senior Paige Crawford led Wake Forest in kills for a fifth-straight outing, totaling 16 for the night. The Wimberley, Texas, native added 10 digs to her line for her first double-double of the year. Coming off her stellar Sunday showing, freshman Sadie Poeck went for another season high in kills with 12. Tuesday marked the fifth time this fall in which three Deacs recorded double-digit numbers in kills.
Sophomore Becca Bellows notched third double-double of the season – 26 assists and career highs in both digs (18) and service aces (3). Senior Rian Baker chipped in 22 assists and eight digs.
Senior Emma Farrell led all individuals with a season-high 21 digs.
How it Happened
"Credit to East Carolina - they played a very competitive match," said head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer. "They kept fighting the entire time, and we knew they were never going to stop. This final week of matches before conference play starts is important for us in many different ways. We need to regroup fast for another one on Thursday, looking to protect our home court."
Up Next
Wake Forest will soon be back on its home floor, hosting the North Carolina A&T Aggies on Thursday evening (Sept. 18). First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. and the match can be viewed on ACC Network Extra.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
Graduate student Ryleigh Whitekettle reached a new career high in blocks (8) and a season-best total in kills (14). Freshman Kelis Hawkins also had her best single-match performance in total blocks this fall, finishing with a match-high 11. The middle blocker also chipped in seven kills on a .545 attacking clip.
Senior Paige Crawford led Wake Forest in kills for a fifth-straight outing, totaling 16 for the night. The Wimberley, Texas, native added 10 digs to her line for her first double-double of the year. Coming off her stellar Sunday showing, freshman Sadie Poeck went for another season high in kills with 12. Tuesday marked the fifth time this fall in which three Deacs recorded double-digit numbers in kills.
Sophomore Becca Bellows notched third double-double of the season – 26 assists and career highs in both digs (18) and service aces (3). Senior Rian Baker chipped in 22 assists and eight digs.
Senior Emma Farrell led all individuals with a season-high 21 digs.
How it Happened
- Kills by Sadie Poeck and Paige Crawford gave Wake a three-point lead early in the first, as ECU committed a pair of errors.
- After Poeck and Kelis Hawkins connected on a block, East Carolina called for a timeout, down 6-2.
- The Pirates then scored on six of the next eight possessions, tying the first set at 8-8.
- Following an East Carolina service error, Becca Bellows found Ryleigh Whitekettle on the right side.
- Hawkins put a ball down the middle, as the Deacs regained their lead (12-11).
- The host next responded with a 5-1 run.
- Crawford stopped the momentum with a tip kill.
- Olivia Fish then checked in for Wake.
- Crawford stopped the momentum with a tip kill.
- The two teams traded a few rallies, as the Deacon hitters chipped in points.
- Whitekettle ignited a quick 3-0 push, posting a kill and block.
- A touch kill by the Pirates put them at set point.
- One more hit from the right side gave East Carolina a 25-20 set-one victory.
- Emma Farrell collected seven digs in the first frame.
- The Deacs got off to a strong start in set two, paced by Crawford and Poeck's aggression on attacks.
- The team forced an East Carolina timeout, up 8-4.
- Poeck remained effective in her hits and Hawkins protected the net well, as Wake built its lead to 15-7.
- A number of blocks then happened by the Deacs, followed by furious hits by their hitters.
- Crawford went back-to-back on kills to wrap a dominant second set showing by Wake, winning 25-11.
- Crawford had nine kills on .421 hitting through two sets, in addition to four digs.
- After Hawkins clocked a hit through the middle to open set three, Patrycja Lagida lined an ace.
- Different Deacs produced kills and a Sanaa Williams ace gave Wake a 7-5 gain.
- The nice serve happened in the midst of a 4-0 push.
- The Deacs displayed exceptional serving in the third, with Bellows soon adding to the ace column.
- A 3-1 boost by the Pirates kept the host close by, down 13-11.
- East Carolina briefly tied the board before the media timeout (14-14), suffering an error on its next serve.
- It didn't take long for Poeck to go off, tallying two kills and a block to create some space for Wake (18-15).
- The Pirates subsequently called for a floor break.
- Possessions went back and forth next, highlighted by another Bellows ace, as Wake hung on to a 22-19 advantage.
- Whitekettle took control late, recording two blocks and a kill.
- Hawkins put the cap on set three with a swing in the middle, securing the set on a 25-19 decision.
- Bellows reached a double-double through three sets – 15 assists and 13 digs.
- The first five points of set four went the way of East Carolina.
- Crawford started a string of three straight points for Wake.
- Some seesaw play took over, and the Deacs kept their fight to trail only 9-7.
- Whitekettle and Poeck provided balanced scoring for Wake through another surge of minutes.
- Whitekettle punched a ball from the right, East Carolina committed an error on a serve and Wake cut the deficit to 17-15.
- The Pirates jumped on a 5-1 run.
- East Carolina was able to close out set four on a 3-0 finish, winning on a 25-18 clip and forcing a fifth set.
- The Pirates went through a pair of errors to begin the fifth, but sat tied with Wake at 3-3.
- Rejections at the net put the host ahead, 6-4.
- Whitekettle and Lagida answered with kills to make things even at 6 all.
- A huge solo block by Hawkins gave Wake an 8-7 edge before teams switched benches.
- Lagida floated through the air on the left side and a Pirate attacking error led to a 10-7 Deacon lead.
- A 4-1 swing by East Carolina evened the margin (11-11).
- Crawford powered a kill on the very next rally.
- An unsuccessful challenge by the Pirates gave Wake the lead back, 13-12.
- East Carolina forced extra points with two late kills.
- Whitekettle kept play going with clutch hits from the right side.
- Two final kills by the Pirates gave them the set win, 19-17.
- Wake Forest fell, 3-2.
- The Deacs' 80 digs resulted as a new season high in a single match and the most since posting 75 in a win over Syracuse on Nov. 3, 2024.
- Five players recorded eight or more digs:
- Emma Farrell – 23
- Becca Bellows – 18
- Paige Crawford – 10
- Rian Baker – 8
- Patrycja Lagida – 8
- Five players recorded eight or more digs:
- A trio of Wake players tallied 12-plus kills:
- Paige Crawford – 16
- Ryleigh Whitekettle – 14
- Sadie Poeck – 12
- Wake Forest outperformed East Carolina in almost every major category:
- Points: 81.0 to 72.0
- Kills: 58 to 53
- Blocks: 17 to 13
- Assists: 55 to 52
- Digs: 80 to 67
- Wake Forest matched up with the Pirates for the first time since Sept. 7, 2019.
- Sadie Poeck made her first career start on Tuesday.
- The freshman hitter has produced 22 kills through her last nine sets.
- Sanaa Williams has totaled 22 blocks in her last four matches.
- Becca Bellows reached over 700 career assists during the contest.
- Currently in her first season as a Deac, Ryleigh Whitekettle has registered double-digit kills in six of her first nine appearances.
"Credit to East Carolina - they played a very competitive match," said head coach Jeff Hulsmeyer. "They kept fighting the entire time, and we knew they were never going to stop. This final week of matches before conference play starts is important for us in many different ways. We need to regroup fast for another one on Thursday, looking to protect our home court."
Up Next
Wake Forest will soon be back on its home floor, hosting the North Carolina A&T Aggies on Thursday evening (Sept. 18). First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. and the match can be viewed on ACC Network Extra.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
Team Stats
WF
ECU
Kills
58
53
Errors
28
30
Attempts
167
175
Hitting %
.180
.131
Points
81.0
72.0
Assists
55
52
Aces
6
6
Blocks
17
13
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
8
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
11
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's VolleyballMB
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/ Women's VolleyballRS/OH
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MB
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