Wake Forest Concludes Homestand in 3-0 Loss to No. 5 SMU

Sunday, November 1

Winston-Salem, N.C.

1 p.m.

Wake Forest University

9-14,3-9ACC

SMU

18-4,10-2ACC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
SMU	27	25	25	3
Wake Forest	25	15	22	0

PDF Box Score

11/1/2026 3:31:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

The Demon Deacons head on the road next weekend to face Clemson and Georgia Tech.

By: KJ Smith

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest volleyball team (9-14, 3-9 ACC) concluded its three-match homestand with a 3-0 loss to No. 5 SMU (18-4, 10-2 ACC) on Sunday afternoon at Varsity Arena.

Sophomore Amina N'Diaye led the Demon Deacons with nine kills against the Mustangs, bringing her to 22 kills for the weekend after a 13-kill performance on Friday against No. 2 Pitt. The Orlando, Fla., native also tallied three digs and a block.

Redshirt senior Sanaa Williams recorded seven kills with a .455 hitting percentage. She also led the Deacs defensively with four blocks on Sunday, bringing her season total to 94.

Graduate student Ryleigh Whitekettle and freshman Lyla Stewart both tallied seven kills, while Stewart added four digs and a block.

Elsewhere, junior Becca Bellows recorded a team-high 20 assists to go along with a dig and a service ace.

How It Happened

The Demon Deacons took an early one-point lead in the first set on a kill by freshman Lyla Stewart.
- The Powell, Ohio, native added another kill moments later to make it 4-3.
Graduate student Ryleigh Whitekettle hammered home a kill to end a 4-0 run by the Mustangs.
- The Deacs cut the deficit to one on the next rally on a block by redshirt senior Sanaa Williams and sophomore Amina N'Diaye.
Stewart and Williams recorded back-to-back kills to tie the set at 9-9.
Redshirt junior Catherine Burke added a kill to halt another short run by SMU.
N'Diaye cut the deficit to 15-13 with her first kill of the match.
Following a three-point swing by the Mustangs, the Demon Deacons responded with a 7-1 run to take a 20-19 lead.
- N'Diaye opened the run with a kill.
- Whitekettle hammered home another kill following a ball-handling error by SMU.
- N'Diaye notched another kill to cut the deficit to one.
- After a block by the Mustangs, Williams tallied a kill to move the Deacs back within one.
  - The Nashville, Tenn., native tied the set at 19-19 with a solo block.
- Senior Laiya Ebo gave the Demon Deacons the lead with her first kill.
Wake Forest reclaimed the lead with a three-point surge.
- After a service error by SMU tied the set at 21-21, freshman Emma Keeping recorded a kill off an assist from fellow freshman Mattea Saunders to put the Deacs ahead.
- Ebo and Williams combined on a block to extend the lead to two.
Williams notched a kill to put Wake Forest on set point.
Sophomore Sadie Poeck registered a kill to make it 25-24.
SMU won the first set, 27-25.
The Mustangs opened the second set on a 7-2 run.
Stewart cut the deficit to four with a kill.
- Burke and Whitekettle combined on a block to make it 7-4.
N'Diaye recorded a kill to move the Demon Deacons within four.
Ebo ended a 6-0 run by SMU with her second kill of the match.
The two sides traded points down the stretch.
The Mustangs won the second set, 25-15.
Junior Becca Bellows gave the Deacs a 3-2 lead with a service ace to open the third set.
Whitekettle and N'Diaye notched back-to-back kills to give Wake Forest a one-point lead.
SMU went on an 8-2 run.
Williams cut the deficit to three, recording kills on consecutive rallies.
After the Mustangs pushed their lead to five, the Demon Deacons went on a four-point surge to make it 22-21.
- Stewart, Whitekettle and freshman Camille McCoy all recorded kills during the run.
SMU won the third set, 25-22.

Standout Stats

Sophomore Amina N'Diaye led the Demon Deacons with nine kills against the Mustangs.
- N'Diaye finished the weekend with 22 kills, having recorded 13 against No. 2 Pitt on Friday.
Redshirt senior Sanaa Williams led the Deacs with four blocks Sunday, bringing her season total to 94.
- The Nashville, Tenn., native also recorded seven kills with a .455 hitting percentage.

From Coach Hulsmeyer
"I thought that we were right there with them at times throughout the match. It's exciting to see that we can play with a team like that. They had a little bit too much offense for us today. We've got to keep taking steps forward and take the weekend we had against these top teams and bring that with us on the road against Clemson and Georgia Tech next weekend."

Up Next
The Deacs hit the road next weekend as they face Clemson on Friday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m., and Georgia Tech on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 1 p.m.