Leao's Career Day Leads Miami Past Wake Forest

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Janice Leao led Miami to a 3-1 win over Wake Forest, tying the second-best attack percentage in school history at .650.

Leao recorded a career-high 13 kills Friday at the LJVM Coliseum, adding two aces and four blocks to help Miami (2-1) earn its second win of the season.

The Hurricanes earned the early 1-0 lead after taking the first set, 25-22, despite a slow offensive start. The Canes recorded three aces and nine kills. Leao and Ashley Slater of Wake Forest led the set with five kills each.

The Deacons tied it at one, hitting their best set of the match at .441 and taking the set, 25-23. Miami’s serving continued to be an asset, though, adding four more aces, led by two from Elizaveta Lukianova, who finished the day with a career-high four.

The rally began in the third with the Canes hitting a set-high .407, led by freshman Lauren Tarnoff, who tallied four kills off five attacks. Six different Canes recorded at least one kill, totaling 14, while sophomore setter Savannah Vach added nine of her total 39 assists.

Miami took the final six points of the set to go up, 2-1, with a 25-17 set win, the largest margin of victory in any set on the day.

Wake Forest went on a late push, scoring the final seven points of the match, but Miami held the Deacons to a .182 attack percentage courtesy of eight Hurricane blocks.

Redshirt sophomore Taylor Burrell boasted one solo block and two block assists, as well as notched her first kill of the season. Angela Grieve added five of Miami’s 15 fourth-set kills to lead Miami to its first road win of the season. The Hurricanes took the final set, 25-19, to take the match, 3-1.

Vach compiled her third double-double in as many outings this season, totaling 39 assists and 10 digs.