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University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
7-7, 4-1ACC
NC State
12-5, 1-4ACC
Tar Heels Claim Third Straight Sweep at State
October 8, 2015 | Volleyball
RALEIGH – The North Carolina volleyball team captured its third straight ACC sweep on Wednesday, defeating cross-town rival NC State, 25-18, 25-19, 25-22, at Broughton High School. Carolina pulled away late in all three sets to pick up its 35th win over NC State in 37 matches since 1998. With the win, UNC improves to 7-7 (4-1 ACC), while State drops to 12-5 (1-4 ACC).
“It's great to get an ACC road win,” said head coach Joe Sagula. “This was a tough environment. It was loud. It was hard to focus, to concentrate. We knew it was going to be like that. I thought that NC State came out and really played tough against us. We knew they would serve really tough against us and that they would put pressure on us early, so we knew we had to play even with them early to stay with them. I thought that our middles played outstanding.”
Victoria McPherson was lights out on both sides of the net, hitting .542 with 15 kills to go with seven blocks on the night. The senior middle, who entered the match ranked fourth in the nation in blocks per set, further increased her season total to an unprecedented 1.60 stuffs per set through the first 14 matches of the year.
“I think we executed the game plan really, really well,” said McPherson. “We were pretty prepared for them and we knew what we wanted to do, so I think we really took care of that. Communication was really good. Energy was huge. When we have that kind of energy, we can't be stopped. Overall, I think it was a really good match.”
The Tar Heels used strong serving to keep the Wolfpack at bay, landing seven aces including three each by Tatiana Durr and Jordyn Schnabl. Libero Sheila Doyle led Carolina with 12 digs, while Schnabl neared a double-double with nine digs to go with 23 assists.
All three sets were extremely close, but UNC distanced itself each time when it mattered, running away with each set down the stretch.
NC State won the first point of the match, but a pair of Durr aces put the Tar Heels up 4-1. State pulled its way back within one, 10-9, but a kill by McPherson averted the tie. A kill by Perry Ramsey again cut the deficit to one, 16-15, but Carolina flipped it into high gear for a 6-0 run to push ahead 22-15, and a kill by Leigh Andrew closed out the opener, 25-18.
The second set was as intense as they come, with 11 ties and six lead changes, but the Tar Heels once again pulled away late, winning eight of the final 10 points of the set to capture the second, 25-19, and take a 2-0 match lead.
The third set was even more contested, featuring 13 ties and six lead changes, and it was NC State who controlled the lead for the majority of the frame. However, after the score ran to a 20-20 tie, McPherson turned it on to slam a block and two kills to seal the match in three, 25-22.
“Victoria McPherson was incredible,” said Sagula. “That last kill she had was a world-class swing; I mean that was unbelievable. She went up and nobody could touch that ball. She went way high and terminated that ball. What a way to finish a point, the set, and the match.”
The Tar Heels return to Carmichael Arena on Friday, Oct. 9, to host the University of Virginia in ACC play. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match to support breast cancer awareness. Opening serve on ESPN3 is set for 6 p.m.
