.png&width=36&height=36&type=webp)
University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Miami
Miami Upsets #12 North Carolina In Five Sets
November 3, 2013 | Volleyball
CORAL GABLES, Fla. - Miami topped Carolina 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 25-19, 22-25, 10-15) on Sunday as the Tar Heels fell to 20-3 and 9-3 in ACC play after a tough 0-2 weekend in Florida.
Lauren Adkins led UNC with 14 kills and two blocks, and Jovana Bjelica and Hayley McCorkle combined for 20 kills and three blocks for the Tar Heels.
"This loss was disappointing, almost heartbreaking to lose two in a row in five sets," head coach Joe Sagula said. "We have to get better and keep elevating our game. We hit a lull in the way we play our game, and we have to start playing with more confidence."
"This is a good team that has so much potential, but we've hit a lull that hasn't allowed us to show how good we can be. Miami played a good game and stayed consistent throughout the match. We as a staff need to do a better job preparing our team, so we'll get back to the drawing board this week and get ready to play back at home," Sagula said.
Adkins had three kills on four swings to lead Carolina to a 25-21 set one win. Savanah Leaf had seven kills with a .636 attack for the Canes, who finished with four team blocks, but the Tar Heels held on for the win as Leigh Andrew, Jovana Bjelica and Hayley McCorkle each added two kills apiece.
Miami evened the match with a 25-18 set two win, led by five kills apiece from Alex Johnson and Misty Ma'A. Adkins added another three kills for Carolina, and Andrew had two kills with three digs, but UNC hit just .091 to the Canes' .300.
Bjelica registered four kills with three digs and a block to help North Carolina take set three, 25-19. UNC had five team blocks while hitting an improved .261 through the frame, while the Canes had 12 attack errors with just a -.091 team attack. Adkins also added two kills for Carolina, and Paige Neuenfeldt had four blocks.
The Canes forced a fifth set when they took the fourth, 25-22, thanks to eight kills from Leaf. Adkins tallied four more kills with a block, and Bjelica had three kills with six digs, but 10 attack errors held the Tar Heels back.
Leaf, who finished the match with 25 kills, had four more in the fifth set to help Miami take the 15-10 win. Adkins and Neuenfeldt each had two kills for UNC, but the Canes locked up the match with a strong .571 attack and four team blocks in the final frame.
Up Next: Back to Chapel Hill
Carolina returns home next week for two of four final home matches. The Tar Heels host Clemson at 8 pm on Friday, which will be a busy day for UNC athletics. There will also be a home women's basketball game at 4:30 p.m., men's soccer at 7 p.m., and men's basketball at 9 p.m. UNC will then host Georgia Tech for a match at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
