DALLAS (SMU) – No. 7 SMU Volleyball swept NC State (10-10, 3-7 ACC) Sunday afternoon for its eighth straight victory with set scores of 25-20, 25-17, 25-7. The win moved the Mustangs to 16-4, 8-2 in ACC action, and notched their third consecutive sweep. 
 
Malaya Jones broke the program's record for single-match hitting percentage on 20 or more attempts, hitting .750 against the Wolfpack. Jones logged 16 kills on 20 swings with only one error in the win while adding four blocks. As a team, SMU hit .379 and held NC State to a .051 efficiency, the lowest the Mustangs have allowed in 10 conference matches this season.
 
Christa Wilburn joined Jones in double-figures with 11 kills and eight digs. Averi Carlson dished out 36 assists and recorded four digs. Defensively, SMU finished with 47 digs, led by Jordyn Schilling, who collected 16 to go along with her five assists.
 
MATCH NOTES: 

• Sunday's sweep is the seventh sweep of the year, fourth in ACC play, and third consecutive straight-set win.
• Jones broke the hitting percentage record that was held up for 26 years. Erin Pryor held the record prior with a .720 attack percentage (19-1-25) against Harvard on Sept. 25, 1999.
• Jones had double-digit kills for the 16th time this season and has done so in six straight matches. Jones' nine kills in the first set are tied for the most in a single set by a Mustang this season. Jadyn Livings logged nine kills in SMU's match against Kentucky on September 13.
• Wilburn's 11 kills marked the second time the freshman has reached double-figure kills this season.
• Schilling's 16 digs are the most by the senior Libero in an ACC match this season. She has logged 10 or more digs in seven straight matches.
• With the win, SMU evened the overall series with NC State to three wins each.
• SMU is 10-0 when hitting over .300 this season, 6-0 in ACC outings. The Mustangs have hit over .300 in three straight matches.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET ONE | NC State led early (13-11) in the first set, before SMU swung the momentum in its direction with a 6-1 scoring run to put them up three (17-14). The Mustangs held firm to close out the set on a kill from Madison Scheer to win the opening frame 25-20. Malaya Jones willed the Mustangs to victory in the first set, logging nine kills in the frame, tied for the most in a single set by a Mustang this season. SMU finished with 17 kills in the frame, hitting .375.  

SET TWO | The Mustangs created separation at the 9-9 mark of the second frame, rattling off five straight points to go up 14-9. After a solo block by the Wolfpack, SMU put together a 4-0 run, three of which came from Favor Anyanwu, who had a block and two kills during the stretch. NC State was never able to recover in the frame as the Mustangs cruised to a 25-17 set two victories. The Mustang's defense was lights out in the second frame, finishing with 18 digs and six blocks, while holding the Wolfpack to a .000 hitting percentage.  

SET THREE | SMU dominated NC State in set three, jumping to a 10-3 lead early. It later went on a 10-point scoring run to blow the set wide open. The Mustangs went on to win the frame 25-7, its most decisive set score of the season. SMU logged a 15-5 advantage in kills in the set and held NC State to a -.069 hitting efficiency, while hitting .636 as a unit. Christa Wilburn paced the Mustangs by putting down six kills in the final set, the most she's had in a single set this season.  

SMU LEADERS:
SMU Kills Leader: Malaya Jones (16)
SMU Assist Leader: Averi Carlson (36)
SMU Digs Leader: Jordyn Schilling (16)
SMU Blocks Leader: Malaya Jones/Maggie Croft (4)
SMU Ace Leader: Four with (1)
SMU Points Leader: Malaya Jones (18.0)
 
Up Next: SMU takes on North Carolina on Friday, Oct. 31 in Chapel Hill. The match will air on the ACC Network at 5 p.m. CT.