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University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Wake Forest
Carolina Downs Wake Forest
October 21, 2011 | Volleyball
Oct. 21, 2011
WINSTON SALEM, N.C.--North Carolina defeated Wake Forest, 3-1 (28-30, 29-27, 27-25, 25-22) at Reynolds Gymnasium. Emily McGee recorded her seventh double-double in the Tar Heels' last eight matches to lead the way.
"We came out with a lot of energy and passion, playing three really tight games and coming out on top in two of them," said McGee. "And then coming out and really playing our game in the fourth set to close out the match was good. We're really looking forward to the second half of the season and it's great to finish out the first half with such an exciting win on the road against a good Wake Forest team."
The opening set was back and forth, featuring 15 tie scores and eight lead changes. Carolina jumped out to an early lead (8-4) after an attack error by Wake Forest's Jazmen Russell. Wake responded with a 4-0 run, capped by a kill from Kristin Grissom to knot the score (8-8). The teams exchanged points until the Demon Deacons pulled away by three (17-14) on a kill by Andrea Beck, forcing the Tar Heels to call timeout. Wake Forest maintained its advantage, leading by three (23-20) late in the first set. Carolina rallied to take a 24-23 lead, capped by a kill from Chaniel Nelson. Wake Forest tied the score (24-24) on a Beck kill. The Deacons captured set one in extra points (30-28), claiming set point on an attack error by Kayla Berringer.
Set two was just as dramatic as the first, featuring 18 tie scores and seven lead changes. Wake Forest grabbed two-point lead early (9-7), but Carolina answered with a 7-4 run to pull ahead by one (14-13) on a McGee kill. The Demon Deacons later tied the score (19-19) after a service error by the Tar Heels' Ece Taner. UNC won four of the next five points en route to a three-point advantage (23-20), but Wake rallied to even the score (24-24) and force extra points. Trailing 27-26, Carolina won three straight points to close out the second frame (29-27), capturing set point on a Wake Forest attack error. McGee tallied six kills and Gibson chipped in nine digs in set two.
The Tar Heels raced to a five-point advantage (6-1) in the third period, capped by a block by McGee and Cameron Van Noy, forcing the Deacons to call timeout. Wake Forest's Meghan Carnell later committed a ball-handling error to give UNC a seven-point lead (14-7). Carolina continued to roll in the third, leading by as much as 10 (23-13) following a block by Kayla Berringer and Tia Gaffen. The Tar Heels took game three going away (25-17), winning set point on a block by Gaffen and McGee. Behm dished out 11 assists for UNC in the frame.
The fourth set was close early on with two tie scores and two lead changes, until the Tar Heels pulled away by four (14-10) after a kill by Van Noy, forcing the Demon Deacons to call timeout. Wake Forest battled back to pare the UNC advantage to one at 21-20 but Nelson unleashed a kill to put the Tar Heels back ahead by two (22-20). Carolina finished off the Deacons (25-22) and the match on an attack error by Wake's Salmon.
McGee compiled 20 kills and 14 digs en route to her seventh double-double in her last eight matches. The junior outside hitter from Naperville, Ill., has posted double-digit kills in 19 of UNC's 22 matches this season.
The Tar Heels return home as they host the Maryland Terrapins Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. from Carmichael Arena. Carolina swept the Terrapins 3-0 Sept. 23, in College Park, Md., in their first meeting of the season.
