RALEIGH, N.C. – The Green Bay volleyball team fell in five sets for the second match in a row, this time against NC State on Saturday afternoon. The Phoenix and Wolfpack squared off in the Summit Hospitality Open at Reynolds Coliseum.
Katie Schulz led the Phoenix offense for the second day in a row, racking up a career-high 24 kills. The offense was also helped by seven kills from Kirsten Fish, Diane Pichelman, and Gillian Koning. Defensively, GB had three players reach double figures in digs, including freshman Alexis Gardner's 25, 15 from Kennedy Schmitz, and 10 more from Emma Johnson. From the front row, Olivia Neumann contributed nine blocks.
NC State was led by a 15-kill performance from Jordan Smith, who finished with a .273 attack percentage.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 | The Phoenix cruised to an early lead, winning the first set 25-19. Green Bay grabbed the advantage for good at 11-10 and never looked back. The GB defense was up to the task in the first set, holding NC State to just a .087 hitting percentage.
SET 2 | Green Bay narrowly dropped set two 25-23 as the hosts evened the match 1-1. The Phoenix came up short in a back-and-forth set that featured five lead changes and 10 ties. Neither team led by more than three points along the way.
SET 3 | Green Bay's defense was once again strong in the third set, holding NC State to just a .077 hit percentage en route to a 25-20 set win. After trailing 8-7, GB went on a 12-4 run that put them in the driver's seat at 19-12. The GB offense hit .229 in the set.
SET 4 | The Wolfpack offense found its groove in the fourth set to force a fifth. They won the set 25-15, finishing with a .242 attack percentage. The set was tied at 12 all before NC State closed the set on a 13-3 run.
SET 5 | Green Bay and NC State went back and forth in the fifth. The frame featured seven lead changes and 13 ties. The two teams were knotted up at 13 all before the hosts took the last two points and the match.
GAME NOTES
» Green Bay outhit NC State, .136 to .117.
» Johnson had a team-high three aces in the loss.
» Both teams finished the match with eight aces.
» Green Bay attackers were helped by a match-high 44 assists from Emma Johnson.
UP NEXT
The Phoenix will close out the weekend against Army at 11 a.m. CT. Next weekend, the Phoenix will be in Madison for the Wisconsin Invitational, where they'll take on Chicago State and UC Davis.
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