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Michigan State
No. 20 UNC Drops No. 14 Michigan State on the Road
September 6, 2014 | Volleyball
EAST LANSING, MICH. – No. 20 Carolina volleyball swept into East Lansing and knocked off No. 14 Michigan State Friday night, winning 25-17, 25-20, and 25-22.
A crowd of 2,307 people came out to Jenison Fieldhouse to see the Top-20 matchup, which aired live on the Big Ten Network and was selected by the AVCA's Deb Kniffin as a top five matchup to watch this weekend.
Lauren McAdoo had a season-high 13 kills for the Tar Heels, hitting .391 for the match and leading the potent UNC offense. Setters Jordyn Schnabl and Abigail Curry combined for 34 assists in the sweep, and Ece Taner had six digs as well.
“It was a great team play, a superb effort to go on the road and come out with this victory tonight,” said Head Coach Joe Sagula.
“I am delighted with the way we played tonight. Lauren McAdoo had a great night, being aggressive and scoring for us. Leigh Andrew was consistent and was a great force for us.”
In set one, the Tar Heels and Spartans battled point for point until a service run led by Schnabl. An ace from Schnabl, followed by a kill from Chaniel Nelson, gave UNC an eight-point lead they would not relinquish in the set.
Nelson tallied three kills on four swings in the set, hitting .750, and added in two blocks.
In set two, Carolina opened the set with a 5-0 lead behind two service aces from Schnabl, and multiple attack errors from the Spartans, before cruising to the 25-20 set two victory. Leigh Andrew added three kills and two digs in the set, and libero Taner chipped in two digs as well.
“Ece Taner had a great match for us. Her dig numbers may not be that high, but her presence in serve receive and as a leader for our defense was immeasurable,” said Sagula.
The Spartans brought a different energy to set three, gaining an early 10-8 lead behind kills from Chloe Reinig and Megan Tompkins. Reinig, a sophomore outside hitter, finished the match with nine kills to lead the Michigan State.
Hayley McCorkle entered the match in the third set and provided instant offense for the Tar Heels. McCorkle provided two key kills, on only three swings, as UNC tied the match at 17-17 and then took a one-point lead at 19-18.
Carolina took the lead for good at 22-21, behind a kill from Lauren McAdoo. A block by Leigh Andrew and Victoria McPherson sealed the set at 25-22, and the match 3-0 for the Tar Heels.
Carolina's middle blockers were able to make a difference early in the match, after struggling last week against another Big Ten opponent, No. 9 Illinois. Paige Neuenfeldt, a Michigan native, provided two kills in set one en route to six kills and three blocks for the match.
Victoria McPherson had three kills on the match and six blocks. UNC's middles combined for a scorching .462 hitting percentage for the match.
“To win like we did tonight, you have to have great contributions from every position. There was not one weak area.”
“This was an important match for our team to build confidence in each other,” said Sagula. “This will allow us to continue to build and to grow towards our season-long goals. I'm happy to see this team earn this victory, knowing it was because they worked so hard.”
The Tar Heels travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 5:00 p.m. in the second match of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
