Hokies Edged by Wolfpack Sunday Afternoon

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech fell in straight sets to NC State (28-26, 25-20, 25-20) on Sunday afternoon in Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies now stand at 11-18 overall and 3-15 in ACC play.  

 

The match opened with both teams trading points early before Virginia Tech pulled ahead 7-5. NC State quickly responded to even the score at 9-9, setting the tone for a tightly contested set that saw multiple ties, including 13-13 and 20-20. 

A pivotal block by seniors Jordan Hallman and Ainsley Ranstead gave the Hokies a set point at 24-23, but NC State rallied, tying the frame at 25-25 and ultimately claiming the set. Payton Woods paced the Hokies with six kills on .400 hitting. 

 
NC State opened the second frame with a 3-0 run, but the Hokies countered with a 4-0 push to level the score at 5-5. The teams continued to battle within a point of each other until 14-14, when the Wolfpack capitalized on a Virginia Tech error and a kill to jump ahead 16-14. 

Tech worked to narrow the gap behind kills from Reese Hazelton and a series of strong blocks by Isabella Mishler—with assists from Ranstead and Hazelton—bringing the Hokies within 23-20 before a timeout. Out of the break, NC State secured the set 25-20 following a Hokie error and a block. 

 
The final set mirrored the close nature of the match, with Virginia Tech continuing to fight as NC State held a steady lead. The Hokies trimmed the deficit to three at 23-20 following a pair of Wolfpack errors, forcing NC State to call timeout. The Wolfpack regrouped and closed out the sweep 25-20. 

Mishler led Tech in the final frame with three kills (.750) and two total blocks. 

Up Next 
Virginia Tech returns to Cassell Coliseum for the final time this season on Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 3 p.m. ET to host Notre Dame. The match will stream live on ACCNX. 

Match Leaders 

• Payton Woods: 10 kills (.421), two digs, two blocks, 11.0 points 
• Ainsley Ranstead: seven kills (.286), nine digs, two blocks 
• Camilla Brandalise: 17 assists (.486) 
• Erica Dellesky: 10 assists (.345) 
• Team: Led the match in blocks (12–8), with Isabella Mishler contributing a team-high seven total blocks.