In its second match of the Bobcat Invitational, Ohio (4-2, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) will face off against North Carolina State (5-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coastal Conference), the first and only Power 5 opponent on the schedule. NC State is coming to Athens riding a four-match win streak. When Ohio faces NC State it will be the second match of the weekend for both squads. The schools have met once previously, a 3-0 win by NC State in 2012.
Match information:
Date and time: Friday, Sept 8 at 6 p.m.
Watch live here on ESPN+
Live stats can be found here
NC State scouting report:
NC State, a program that has struggled to reach more than 16 wins in each of the last two seasons under head coach Luka Slabe, is feeling a lot of pressure to win. In a conference that is dominated by the likes of Louisville, Pitt, Miami (FL) and Georgia Tech, it has been rather difficult for NC State to emerge. To that point, NC State was picked to finish in 8th place in this season’s preseason Coaches Poll with no representation on the All-Conference lists.
That is not to say the Wolfpack is bad. Simply put, they are outshined in their own conference. However, this weekend could be an opportunity for them to demonstrate to everyone, including themselves and other members of the ACC, that they are ready to blast through expectations.
NC State has done a great job in attacking its opponents, as it has over 300 kills on the season. It has been a very good start to the season when it comes to minimizing attacking errors, an area that greatly helps any offense maintain success without self-inflicted errors. The strongest point for NC State has been with its service. NC State has 44 service aces as compared to 31 that it has conceded. However, the Wolfpack has committed 70 service errors.
Player to watch: Ava Brizard
Brizard has been one of the best players for the Wolfpack ever since arriving on campus. The sophomore has received recognition for her efforts, which is seen in her placement on the ACC All-Freshman Team in 2022. This season, Brizard has 86 kills as well as seven service aces, both of which are the most on the team. Her overall game has been the main reason for some optimism for the Wolfpack and why they think they can compete in the rigorous ACC. Brizard is one of the marquee players who will give opponents fits and invigorate the Wolfpack as it looks to continue its early-season success.
NC State has long been looking for an answer to get itself out of the middle of the pack of the ACC. Under the tutelage of Slabe, NC State will look to come to Athens and leave with even more confidence as it looks forward to the forthcoming conference slate.
