University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Virginia Tech
Tar Heels Storm Back For 3-2 Win Over Hokies
October 9, 2008 | Volleyball
Oct. 9, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Carolina fell into a very early 0-2 hole Thursday night against the visiting Hokies of Virginia Tech (14-3, 5-1 ACC) before coming all the way back for an impressive 3-2 win (21-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-16, 15-10). Junior Christine Vaughen finished the night with a team-high 14 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, while Suzanne Haydel turned in another double-double performance with 13 kills and a team-high 18 digs in the win. With the win Carolina improves to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in the ACC and will look to keep it going Friday night when it hosts Virginia at 7 p.m.
The Hokies got on the board first with three consecutive points to open the match and carried the run to an 8-4 advantage. The Tar Heels would close within two points at 8-6 on a Virginia Tech attack error and block by Heather Brooks and Christine Vaughen before the Hokies were able to extend their lead to 15-12 later in the set. Back-to-back kills from Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland and Christine Vaughen pulled Carolina within one before a Virginia Tech attack error and another kill from Vaughen put Carolina ahead 16-15. The lead would be the Tar Heels only one of the set as the Hokies closed out the match with a 9-6 run to claim the opening set, 25-21. The dropped set was the first of its kind for the Tar Heels in the Smith Center in this season.
The momentum for the ACC-leading Hokies would carry into set two as Virginia Tech led from wire-to-wire for the 25-18 win thanks in large part to a 6-1 set opening run. The Tar Heels would battle back to 8-7 for the second consecutive set, this time on the back of a kill from Lauren Prussing, a block by Heather Brooks and Hanson-Tuntland and another kill from Suzanne Haydel preceded a pair of attack errors on the Hokies. Virginia Tech would hold off the Tar Heel challenge however with a 3-0 run to extend its lead to 11-7. Carolina would close the deficit to three six times from that point on but were never able to battle any closer as Virginia Tech took an impressive 2-0 lead.
The teams battled to a 13-13 tie in the third set before Carolina turned its game up a notch. A service ace from freshman Erica Behm and a Hokie attack error made the score 15-13 in favor of the Tar Heels before a Virginia Tech timeout. The Hokies came out of the break and tied things back up at 16-16 before Carolina regained the lead with a kill from Courtney Johnston. A bad set by the Hokies and another kill from Johnston upped the lead to 19-16 before Virginia Tech called its final timeout of the set. For every point the Hokies would score the Tar Heels would answer with their own until Virginia Tech posted back-to-back kills to pull within two (23-21) before the Tar Heels called a timeout. Ingrid Hanson-Tuntlad came out and delivered a kill to pull Carolina within a point of the set win which would come on the very next point as Johnston and Brooks combined for a block and a 25-21 win.
Carolina kept it rolling in the fourth set taking a 7-6 lead and never looking back en route to a 25-16 win. The teams traded the opening 12 points of the set before Carolina went on a 3-0 run on the serve of Heather Brooks. A kill from Vaughen started things off before a pair of Virginia Tech attack errors gave the Tar Heels a 9-6 lead. An 8-5 run by Carolina would follow forcing Virginia Tech into a timeout with the Tar Heels holding a 17-11 advantage. Another 8-5 run by the Tar Heels sealed the deal on the fourth set and forced the match into a decisive fifth set. Johnston, Prussing, Haydel, Vaughen and Brooks all tallied two kills apiece as Behm dished out nine assists in the set. A big part of the Tar Heels turnaround came on the defensive side as Carolina converted 63 and 68 percent of its sideout chances in the third and fourth sets, after posting 56 and 54 percent in the opening frames.
With the match riding on the fifth set, head coach Joe Sagula stuck with the hot hand and led things off with Aleksandra Georgieva behind the line with the opening serve. The Hokies were able to handle the serve and Kristen Cunningham picked up a kill. An attack error on the Heels made the score 2-0 before a Hokie service error put the ball back on Carolina's side. A 3-1 run by Virginia Tech made it appear that the comeback was not to be as the Hokies held a 5-2 lead. A pair of kills by Haydel and a Virginia Tech error put Carolina right back in the set and the match at 5-5. The next six points would be split by the teams before Georgieva stepped up to serve again. A kill from Prussing and another from Vaughen put Carolina ahead 10-8 before a Virginia Tech timeout. The Hokies pulled within one on a kill before Prussing added her 13th kill of the night and Virginia Tech committed another error to give Carolina a 12-9 advantage. A kill by Justine Record made the score 12-10 and appeared to give Virginia Tech the momentum but it was not meant to be as Haydel single-handedly finished off the Hokies with three straight kills to seal the comeback victory. The Tar Heels hit a match-high .345 in the fifth set en route to the 15-10 win.
The foursome of Johnston (10), Prussing (13), Haydel (13) and Vaughen (14) combined for 50 of Carolina's 57 kills on the night with Vaughen hitting a team-high .500 on the night. The Tar Heels turned away 17 Hokie attacks on the night helping Carolina outhit Virginia Tech by a .214-.152 margin. Haydel was a big factor on the defensive side as well as she picked up a team-high 18 digs, edging out senior libero Brianna Eskola who finished with 17.
With the win Carolina improves to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in the ACC and will take on Virginia (10-7, 2-3 ACC) at 7 p.m. Friday night in the Dean Smith Center.
