University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
Johnston Fuels Carolina Sweep
September 26, 2008 | Volleyball
Sept. 26, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Courtney Johnston tallied a team-high 11 kills Friday night and hit a blistering .579 as the Tar Heels opened the Atlantic Coast Conference season with a 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-10) sweep of visiting Maryland (5-9, 1-1 ACC). Senior Stephanie Jansma dished out 28 assists falling two shy of her fifth consecutive match with 30 or more as she helped the Tar Heels to a .272 hitting percentage on the night. Carolina improves to 7-5 on the year and 1-0 in ACC play and will take on Boston College on Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Smith Center.
The Tar Heels jumped out to a 4-0 lead to start the ACC opener as sophomore Suzanne Haydel served four consecutive points for Carolina with seniors Lauren Prussing and Jansma tallying kills to push the early momentum in Carolina's favor. Maryland would battle back and tie the score at 5-5 before taking a 7-5 advantage on the back of a kill from Katie Usher. Four straight kills from Carolina, two by Prussing and one apiece from Johnston and Heather Brooks put the Tar Heels back on top. The Tar Heels would not trail from that point, holding off a late charge by the Terps to claim the 25-23 opening set victory. Carolina held Maryland in check as the Terps hit .077, while the Tar Heels hit .162.
Carolina took advantage of early errors by Maryland in set two taking a 10-5 advantage forcing Maryland into an early timeout. The Terps would lay claim to the next two points before Johnston delivered another kill putting the ball in freshman Kaylie Gibson's hands. Gibson would serve Carolina to three straight points as Haydel and Brooks tallied kills and Brooks teamed with Johnston on a block before the Terps called their second timeout. Gibson would serve Carolina to three more points extending the lead to 17-7. Maryland would outscore the Tar Heels by one point, 9-8, down the stretch but was too little, too late as Carolina captured the second set, 25-16.
Maryland put up a fight in the early going of set three as the teams traded the first 10 points to tie the score at 5-5. A block by Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland and Haydel, followed by a Maryland attack error put Carolina ahead 7-5 and it was just the beginning for the Tar Heels as they claimed four of the next five points forcing a Terp timeout with the score in Carolina's favor, 11-6. A pair of attack errors by Carolina sandwiched a Christine Vaughen kill making the score 12-8 before a Maryland service error started a huge run for the Tar Heels. Lauren Prussing stepped to the service line and helped Carolina to three straight points before tallying a pair of aces forcing a Maryland timeout with the score at 18-8. Prussing would come out and serve five more points as Vaughen and Jansma posted kills and the Terps committed an attack error and a bad set before finally ending the 10-0 run with a Maddi Lee kill with the score at 22-9. Carolina would take the final set 25-10 as Johnston picked up her 11th kill of the night on just 19 attempts to seal the 3-0 sweep.
Johnston's big night also saw her pick up five digs along with a pair of block assists as she helped Carolina to its first ACC win of the season. Senior Brianna Eskola led Carolina in digs with 15 from her libero position, while Prussing and Vaughen finished the night with seven kills apiece. The Tar Heels will take on Boston College Saturday night at 6 p.m. in the Smith Center in the second match of the ACC season.
