Oct. 18, 2007

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest wraps up a five-match homestand this weekend with a pair of matches against Virginia and Virginia Tech. The Demon Deacons host the Cavaliers on Friday at 7 p.m. and then face the Hokies on Saturday at 6 p.m.

Both matches will be broadcast live on ACC Select.

Saturday's meeting with Virginia Tech will be Wake Forest's second annual Dig for the Cure Night. The Deacons are collecting donations to benefit the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an organization dedicated to fighting breast cancer.

The Deacons come in to the weekend at 7-12 overall and 4-6 in the ACC. Wake has stumbled of late, losing three straight and five of its last six matches. The Deacs have fallen in four games in each of its last three matches.

Wake Forest is 4-4 at Reynolds Gymnasium this season, including a 2-3 mark in conference play.

Several Deacons currently rank among the ACC leaders. Juniors Jessica Furlong and Natalie Mullikin are both in the top ten in the league for kills and points. Furlong is fourth with 4.24 kills per game and seventh with 4.62 points per game.

Mullikin ranks sixth with 3.81 kills per game and sixth with 4.64 points per game. Mullikin is also sixth in the conference with a .333 hitting percentage.

Freshman setter Kelsey Jones has moved up to fifth in the ACC with 10.75 assists per game.

Freshman libero Megan Thornberry has entered the top ten in digs, ranking ninth with 4.12 per game.

Mullikin continues to climb the charts on Wake Forest's career blocking records. She is within three of the school record of 87 career block solos set by Jenny Kraner from 1984-86. Mullikin also ranks third in career total blocks (338) and fourth in career block assists (254).

Virginia comes to Winston-Salem at 12-7 overall and 7-3 in the ACC. The Cavaliers have won four of their last five matches with the only blemish a five-game loss at Virginia Tech last week. UVa swept both NC State and North Carolina last weekend in Charlottesville. Virginia is just 1-4 on the road this season.

The Cavaliers hold a slim 16-15 advantage in the all-time series with the Deacons. UVa, however, has won five of the past six meetings dating back to the 2004 season. The two teams split last year's meetings, each winning at home.

Virginia Tech enters its match at Duke on Friday with a record of 11-9 overall and 5-5 in the ACC. The Hokies have won four of their last five matches dating back to Oct. 5. Virginia Tech split last weekend's matches, falling to North Carolina on Friday before bouncing back with a defeat of NC State on Saturday. The Hokies are 0-5 on the road this season.

Virginia Tech holds a 19-8 advantage in the all-time series with Wake Forest. The Deacons have won two of the past three and three of the past five meetings. Last season, the teams split the series with each winning at home. Both matches went a full five games to be decided.

The Hokies have a sizable advantage in the all-time series due to a 14-match winning streak from 1980-97. Wake Forest and Virginia Tech have split the six meetings since the Hokies joined the ACC in 2004.

Wake Forest will hit the road for a pair of matches next weekend. The Deacons will travel north to face Maryland on Friday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. and then Boston College on Sunday at 1 p.m. Wake swept both the Terps and Eagles earlier this season in Winston-Salem.