University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Volleyball Gears Up for NC State, Duke This Weekend
October 15, 2014 | Volleyball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The 11th-ranked Tar Heels will hit the road for a swing through the Triangle against tough ACC foes NC State and rival Duke.
North Carolina (13-2, 4-1 ACC) is coming off a one-match weekend that saw UNC defeat Virginia 3-0 in Carmichael Arena. Leigh Andrew led the Tar Heels with 11 kills and nine digs, while Chaniel Nelson knocked down nine kills and had two stuff blocks. Jordyn Schnabl dished out 21 assists and had eight digs as well.
UNC will take on North Carolina State Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Reynolds Gymnasium in a match that will be broadcast on ESPN3 as part of the NC State men's basketball kick-off. Then the Tar Heels will face off against No. 21 Duke at 1 p.m. on Sunday in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The match against the Blue Devils will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
PREVIEWING NORTH CAROLINA STATE
North Carolina State enters the match with a 12-5 overall record and a 7-0 record in Reynolds Gymnasium. Freshman middle blocker Kaitlyn Kearney has been a strong presence for NCSU early in the season as she leads the team with 2.80 kills/set and a .355 hitting percentage. Kearney has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshmen of the Week twice this season.
The NC State offense is bolstered by a trio of senior attackers joining Kearney at the net. Rachel Buckley knocks down 2.71 kills/set, while Dariyan Hopper blasts 2.42 kills/set. Alesha Wilson, a 6-0 middle blocker, earns 2.17 kills/set on a .217 hitting efficiency and adds .94 blocks/set.
Head Coach Bryan Bunn is in his fifth season with NCSU and has overseen a dramatic program turnaround during his tenure. Bunn led the 2012 NC State team to its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1987. Bunn also has led NCSU to three straight 20-win seasons and is one of only three ACC coaches to achieve that feat the past three seasons.
The Tar Heels are 78-29 all-time against NCSU after defeating NC State 3-0 last season in Reynolds Gymnasium. UNC will take on NCSU Friday at 6:30 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and live stats will be available through gopack.com.
PREVIEWING THE NO. 21 DUKE BLUE DEVILS
The reigning ACC champion Duke Blue Devils have continued their success into the 2014 season, entering the weekend with a nine-game winning streak and a 6-0 record in the ACC. Duke is 14-3 overall on the season, with signature victories over Michigan State and Oklahoma under its belt. The Blue Devils three losses have come to tough squads such as Michigan and No. 1 Stanford on the road.
The Blue Devils have achieved tremendous success under decorated Head Coach Jolene Nagel, who is the reigning ACC Coach of the Year. Nagel received her fourth ACC Coach of the Year award this past season as she led the Blue Devils back from a 6-14 ACC record in 2012 to a 18-2 finish and an ACC title in 2013. During her 14 years at Duke, Nagel and her staff have guided the Blue Devils to four ACC championships and 12 NCAA Tournament appearances.
Duke features two All-American players at outside hitter. Emily Sklar, the 2013 ACC Player of the Year and a Second Team All-America selection, leads the Blue Devils with 3.98 kills/set. Jeme Obeime joins Sklar at the outside position and blasts 3.56 kills/set on a .308 hitting percentage. Libero Sasha Karelov leads the ACC with 5.32 digs/set, while setter Kelsey Williams leads the ACC with 11.41 assists/set.
UNC is 52-47 all-time against Duke after dropping a five-set thriller to the Blue Devils last year in Durham. The Tar Heels will face Duke Sunday at 1 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The match will be broadcast on ESPNU and live stats will be available through goduke.com.
