Sept. 26, 2008

Box Score | Box Score in PDF Format

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - What a difference a day makes as the Wake Forest volleyball team rebounded from a tough loss to sweep previously unbeaten Miami Friday night in Reynolds Gymnasium.

The Deacons, coming off a heart-breaking five-set loss to Florida State last night, used a total team effort to roll past Miami 25-19, 25-22 and 25-21.

The win improves the Deacons to 10-4 on the season and evens their ACC record at 1-1. The Hurricanes, who came into town after a four-set win at Duke last night, falls to 2-1 in the conference and 13-1 overall.

"My goal for tonight's match was to improve as a team," said head coach Heather Kahl Holmes. "I wanted to see how they would respond after a heart-breaking loss last night and they put together a great match tonight. This was a total team effort."

It seems to becoming a theme but sophomore setter Kelsey Jones had another tremendous night. She recorded her fourth double-double in the last five matches and her eighth of the season.

Time and time again, Jones dished out beautiful sets to set up her attackers. She finished the night with 36 assists and 10 digs. Perhaps just as big, were her three total blocks including her first block solo of the season.

Graduate student Natalie Mullikin led three Demon Deacons in double-figure kills with a match-high 15. She also recorded three total blocks including a pair of block solos.

Sophomore Kristen White fell just one dig shy of her second-straight double-double with 11 kills and nine digs. Freshman Kadija Fornah (10 kills) posted double-digit kills for the seventh time this season and fifth in the last six matches.

Perhaps the biggest key in the match for the Deacs was their defensive play. Junior Abby Miller and sophomore Megan Thornberry played extremely well all match, making tough dig after tough dig. Thornberry ended the night with 19 digs while Miller chipped in with 12.

For Miami, Lane Carico, the reigning ACC Volleyball Player of the Week, led the "Canes offensive attack with 13 kills to go along with 12 digs. Setter Katie Gallagher also posted a double-double with 24 assists and 11 digs.

All three sets were fairly even throughout with Wake pulling away in the end.

The first set started out back-and-forth as the teams traded mini runs. With the score tied at 9-9, the Deacons got kills from White and Mullikin sandwich by a pair of Miami attack errors to grab a 13-10 lead, forcing UM to take a timeout.

Wake continued the run as Fornah took a pair of perfect sets from Jones and put away back-to-back kills to help push the lead out to as many as five at 19-14, forcing Miami to take its second timeout. The teams would trade sideouts the rest of the way and Wake took the first set 25-19. Mullikin had five kills in the set while White chipped in four.

Miami looked to regain some momentum as it led for most of the first part of the second set. With the `Canes up 10-9, a Mullikin kill sparked a 5-2 Wake run to snatch a 14-12 lead. Mullikin had three of the four kills in the run while White added the other.

After UM took timeout, Fornah took a set from Thornberry and delivered an emphatic kill, extending the lead to 15-12. But Miami responded and would eventually tie the score at 20-20. That's when White and Mullikin each notched kills to make the score 22-21 off of good rallies to force a Miami timeout.

Off of the timeout, Wake got a Miami attack error followed by two more solid swings from Fornah to close out the set 25-22. Fornah, Mullikin and White all had five kills in the set while Thornberry added seven digs.

Miami didn't look flustered coming out of the intermission, despite being down 0-2 for the first time all season. The teams traded sideouts until the score was tied at 9-9 when Miami's Ali Becker had an attack error. The ensuing point was perhaps the best of the night as Jones ultimately took a pass from freshman Cambrey Oehler and sent the ball deep into the right corner of the court for a kill that brought the crowd to its feet.

Mullikin followed the Miami timeout with her 15th kill of the match, giving Wake a 12-9 lead that it would never relinquish. Miami would get to within one at 19-18 but Wake would then go on a 4-0 run, capped by back-to-back service aces from sophomore Lauren McIntyre, to push the lead back outo 23-18.

After a kill from senior Ashley Homitz, the night fittingly ended on a solo block from Mullikin, the school's all-time leader in that category.

Wake finished the night with a total of seven blocks and out dug the `Canes 61-58. The Deacons also held an edge in hitting percentage and assists.

The Deacs will have the rest of the weekend to prepare for Duke, who comes to town next Tuesday night, Sept. 30. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and can be seen on ACC Select.