A dramatic third-set comeback propelled the Eagles to inspired play that gave them their third ACC win on Friday night in Power Gym, where the Boston College volleyball team took down the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in four sets.
The first set was messy from both ends of the court. Numerous serving errors and shaky defense abounded, and the score line went back and forth. Toward the end of the set, BC made a few defensive adjustments that solidified affairs on the Eagles’ end of the court. Katty Workman took a swing on the set point for the Eagles, providing a powerful spike that went through the fingers of Demon Deacon blockers in the middle of the net.
Workman led the team in kills, coming through with 16 total in the match, most of which came from the outside.
Following BC’s initial set win, Wake Forest responded with its only win on the night. The second set was once more a back-and-forth situation, but Wake Forest pulled it out in the end. Some good blocking from Kellie Barnum and Anna Skold, combined with solid offensive play down the middle from Skold and Kam McLain brought the Eagles to a 20-20 even score line, but sloppy defense and missed opportunities on offense saw the Demon Deacons tie the match at one set apiece.
BC head coach Chris Campbell admitted that his team initially played poorly, but was happy that it was able to pull its act together at certain points in the match.
“We didn’t play our best volleyball, but one of the things you have to learn to do as a collegiate athlete is that if you don’t have all of your game, use the parts of your game that are there as an anchor,” he said.
The third set proved to be the deciding factor of the entire match. BC trailed significantly for the entire set, but managed to turn around an 18-23 scoreline into a 26-24 win. Workman, Skold, and Julia Topor all provided essential kills and blocks. The entire team collectively regained defensive form, only allowing Wake Forest one point, while the Eagles gathered eight. McLain jumped for the final block that put BC at 26 points.
Campbell credited Courtney Castle’s serving and the collective mentality of the team for their ability to see out this third set.
The Eagles carried this form into the fourth, leading for the majority of the set. The Demon Deacons did provide them with one scare, coming to a 20-19 score from what was formerly 19-13. The defense stepped up to see out the set for the Eagles, though, as they claimed victory at 25-21.
Workman had the winning kill, as she nailed a perfectly set ball into a hole within the Wake Forest defense.
While there was no one star player on this night for the Eagles, Workman and Topor led the team in kills. Skold and McClain also provided kills down the middle, with eight and nine blocks, respectively. Setter Barnum ended the game with 45 assists, 12 digs, and six blocks. These five players were the mainstays of BC offense and defense.
“We are still inconsistent … and that takes time,” Campbell said. “That is just experience. We do good things. It is a question of whether we can string enough of them together in a row to come out on the winning end.”
Featured Image by Arthur Bailin / Heights Staff
