North Carolina
2-4
Stanford
3-2
Tar Heels Sweep Third-Ranked Stanford
September 11, 2015 | Volleyball
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina volleyball put on a show in Carmichael Arena on Thursday night, upsetting No. 3 Stanford in straight sets for the Tar Heels' 24th-straight victory on their home court. The 3-0 victory (25-17, 27-25, 25-22) marked the second straight season that UNC topped a No. 3 team at home and its first-ever sweep of a top-three opponent. The win lifts Carolina to 2-4, while Stanford drops to 3-2.
“Our offense came alive tonight,” said head coach Joe Sagula. “When we played the Italian team on Monday, our offense really picked up, and I think that's what happened. The rhythm, our flow, our passing, our setting and the swings we took were so much better being at home than it had been on the road.”
After falling to No. 1 Penn State in straight sets on Saturday, John Dunning's Cardinal was swept in back-to-back matches for the first time ever during his 15-year tenure at the helm. The key to the victory was Carolina's efficiency on the attack, out-hitting the Cardinal .300 to .162 while making just five unforced errors, including a mistake-free 13-for-21 in the opening frame.
After a neck-and-neck start, a 4-0 run served up by Tatiana Durr helped the Heels take a 10-6 lead, and UNC never again trailed as the Tar Heels out-hit the Cardinal .619 to .206 without making an error to run away with the opening set, 25-17. Paige Neuenfeldt, Victoria McPherson and Taylor Leath all hit a perfect 1.000 with a combined nine kills to lead the Tar Heels to victory in the frame.
Stanford led early in the second set, and after back-to-back kills by Taylor Treacy tied the score at six, the Cardinal pushed back in front 12-8 and extended it to 20-13 due in large part to four blocks by Madi Bugg. However, the Tar Heels never backed down, as Jordyn Schnabl served UNC on a 5-0 run to pull back within one, 21-20. A pair of errors allowed Stanford to reach set point, 24-21, but a solo block and back-to-back aces by Neuenfeldt tied the score at 24 and a Cardinal error completed the comeback as UNC took a 2-0 lead with a 27-25 win in set two.
UNC raced out to a 16-8 lead in the third set, but Stanford would not go quietly, pulling back to within one late, 23-22, on three straight kills by Brittany Howard. However Hayley McCorkle stepped up on the right side to close out the match for the Tar Heels, teaming up with Neuenfeldt for a block then slamming the final kill to seal the upset with a 25-22 decision in the third.
Paige Neuenfeldt led a balanced attack by hitting .533 with 10 kills to go with four blocks and two aces, while Leath and Treacy each had eight kills and Taylor Fricano had a career-high seven without making a hitting error.
Jordyn Schnabl and Abigail Curry quarterbacked the efficient attackers with 21 and 18 assists, respectively, while libero Tatiana Durr was tops in the match with 18 digs.
“The intangibles (the win) does is huge for our team,” said Neuenfeldt. “It gives a lot of players a lot of confidence. Tati's new at libero right now, and I think she played phenomenal. So I think that little bit of confidence is great for her. Taylor Leath played awesome; she got some great swings in. It's just the little things.
“But we've got to keep pressing. We're not satisfied. This is a great game, but we're not done yet.”
The Tar Heels continue their four-match homestand on Friday, Sept. 11, hosting UNCW in an in-state battle beginning at 6 p.m.
