University of North Carolina Athletics
NCAA Round One: North Carolina vs. High Point Quotes
December 3, 2016 | Volleyball
NORTH CAROLINA
Opening Statement from Coach Joe Sagula:
“First of all, I'd like to congratulate High Point on a great season, and for winning their conference. Tom [Mendoza] and his crew has done an outstanding job in his first year there. Tonight, I thought we came out really strong. I thought we set the momentum early, served tough, and took some really good swings. Both Julia [Scoles] and Taylor [Leath] were controlling the offense and I think that helped us a lot. I also thought Sheila Doyle dug a lot of balls, especially in the second set when High Point made a good run. I was really pleased and I think our experience showed early. We were really determined, but I knew after the second set that High Point wouldn't be finished because they're well-coached and have some competitive kids out there. They came out strong and made a competitive third set. We're really fortunate that we made a couple of key plays at the end to help us. Overall, we didn't block as well as we typically do, and I thought High Point did a really great job with 12 blocks on the match. I'm happy that we won this match and ready to focus on the next one at hand.”
#43 Taylor Leath on what Coach Sagula said during the last timeout
“[He said] it was time to make plays and work hard. At that point, if you're High Point, you're playing for your season, and they came out strong. They were fighting for every point and we weren't fighting as hard. We weren't working as hard as we were in the previous two [sets], so he told us we need to fight and clean it up. Be focused, be locked in, and to pass a good ball. We had to execute at that point.”
Leath on how to get back into the right mentality
“A lot of it is slowing it down. I think that being in a tournament makes you really excited and sometimes your nerves get you going really fast. A lot of us needed to just slow down. We just needed to look at each other, make eye contact, and know that we had each other's' backs. We had to play the game like we know we can.”
#12 Julia Scoles on whether or not she was nervous for postseason play:
“I wasn't really nervous going into it; I was more excited to be going into the first round. I thought it went well the first two sets, but there was definitely improvement that we had to make in the third.”
Sagula on the Heels' serving strategy:
“We told our team that we need to be aggressive on the serve. Whether it's Julia, or Fricano on the jump serve, whoever's out there, we have got to go out there. If you don't serve tough at this point, then every team is good enough to run their offense. We didn't serve as tough in the third set. It means a lot to get those points. The whole team gets excited [on a good serve]. When you serve, it's a bit of a gift to the whole team to gain some momentum.”
Sagula on tomorrow's match:
“I think it's going to be a really tough match. Coastal [Carolina] has been here before, they have a couple people who have been here all three years, they have a dominant middle that they go to, and they know how to win. They've been winning all year long. I think that we have got to learn from this match. Playing that third set, I got our team's attention and had a chat with them after on some things we need to do better. If we let up against any team we're playing, it could be a different outcome. This match was close to coming to a fourth set, so I think we know that Coastal is going to be a tough match. I'm so glad we're playing at home, and we're going to be as prepared as we can be in 24 hours.”
HIGH POINT
Opening Statement from Head Coach Tom Mendoza:
“First of all, it was just a great experience for our team as far as the direction that we want to continue to go. With our program and what we are trying to build not just one year, but on a yearly basis, trying to put ourselves in this position and hopefully this experience will allow us to continue that. And I think it shows that we have some of the pieces, it's just a matter of getting comfortable in the situation. It was disappointing in the first two sets because we just knew that we were not representing who we actually were and I thought that was what was good about the third set; that we were showing the things that we were capable of doing and that we have been able to do for stretches of this year. Credit to North Carolina playing a very strong match and making us uncomfortable, especially in the first two sets. But I am very proud of our group. To settle in and play with more fire in that third set; it was a combination of attitude as well as our execution just picked up. So we felt like that was the way we were capable of playing coming and pushing North Carolina, which made it even harder to see those first two set where we weren't doing the things that we knew we were capable of doing. But it was great to see in the third set. Overall, just incredibly proud of the group as far as they year they put in and it has been, for Jake and myself and our staff, just a great group to work with on a daily basis. Never any issues. Just excited to come to the gym and be together. We thank them for that, and it's always tough when it comes to an end but like I said, we are incredibly proud of them."
Mendoza on pep band:
“We have pep band I think that's what we're trying to build is the atmosphere, the atmosphere that Carolina has built here. And if you look at their attendance on a match-by-match basis, it has continued to grow and we're trying to do the same thing with our match environment.”
#20 Haley Barnes on ending the season:
“However our season wrapped up, it wrapped up, but we were just excited to come out and play the game we love together.”
#20 Haley Barnes on offseason:
“I'm excited I think we have a lot of potential. I think we kind of hit that first mark. Ever since I was a freshman, our goal was to win a conference tournament and so we did that this year. That was great, and I think we can start setting that bar a little bit higher and a little bit higher, keep reaching and reaching and building on this program. With everything that's been set up to my coming here and Jordan (Hefner)'s coming here, now we can keep building on that and keep pushing and make High Point a team people don't want to play with anymore.”
#1 Jordan Hefner on offseason:
“Especially with having a new coach, I'm really excited because he's already taught us so much that I can't wait to see what he's going to teach us to help us get past the first round next year.”
#1 Jordan Hefner on what was the difference in the third set:
“Our energy definitely changed the game for us, because when we are excited, and when we are calm and collected, and just playing our game, we can do anything that we want. So, Carolina was a great team to play against and I think coming out in that third set and having that energy helped us fight and keep up with them."
