University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
2-0
West Virginia
0-2
Power Down The Stretch Leads UNC To Second Straight Sweep
August 27, 2016 | Volleyball
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| Postgame Infographic |
University Park, Pa. – No. 19 North Carolina captured its second straight sweep on Saturday afternoon, defeating West Virginia 3-0 (25-16, 28-26, 25-21) at the Penn State Classic. The Mountaineers controlled the majority of the second set and took a lead late in the third, but the Tar Heels (2-0) held off WVU (0-2) to keep their perfect set record intact.
Freshman outside hitter Julia Scoles put together a solid all-around performance, recording her first career double-double by leading the Heels in both kills (11) and digs (14). Classmate Taylor Borup followed with eight kills, and Sydnye Fields and Taylor Treacy each had six, including an efficient .333 clip by Treacy from the right side.
The Tar Heels posted their second-straight double-digit blocking performance with 11.5 as team, led by Fields (6), Treacy (5) and Hayley McCorkle (4). Abigail Curry turned in 28 assists and eight digs, and Sheila Doyle posted 13 digs, seven assists and the team's lone service ace. Beth Nordhorn was a perfect 3-for-3 on swings and stuffed a pair of blocks in the first set, before being replaced in the lineup by Fields for the final two sets.
As a team, Carolina hit .367 in the first set, before turning in just a .208 clip with nine errors in the second. The Tar Heels regrouped as the set went on and finished the match out-hitting WVU .270 to .138.
A strong service run by Scoles lifted Carolina to a quick 5-1 lead to open the match and the Tar Heels never again trailed, running away with the opening set, 25-16. A trio of Tar Heels nailed three kills apiece, with Nordhorn terminating on all three of her swings to go with two blocks.
West Virginia controlled the second set, pulling ahead, 8-5, on an ace by Mia Swanegan and maintaining the advantage for the majority of the frame. A kill by Treacy midway through the set sent UNC on a 4-0 run to tie the score at 13, but West Virginia pushed right back out in front, 16-13 on a Swanegan block. Another Mountaineer block put WVU ahead 21-17 late, but Carolina did not back down, and two kills and a block by Fields tied the score at 21.
A kill by Scoles gave UNC a 23-22 lead, its first since starting the set up 2-1, but back-to-back kills by Payton Caffrey gave the Mountaineers the first shot at set point, 24-23. A kill by Borup erased West Virginia's attempt, then a McCorkle kill gave UNC its first set point. WVU held off a pair of Carolina tries, but back-to-back kills by Scoles finally put an end to the nail-biter, as the Tar Heels stole set two, 28-26, and took a 2-0 match lead.
A 4-0 run midway through the third set gave UNC a 12-7 lead, but West Virginia never gave in and four late points made the Mountaineers the first to twenty, 20-19. Senior opposite Taylor Treacy took control, regaining the lead with a block then put down two straight kills to reach match point. Freshman Borup then completed the sweep with a kill from the left side, giving UNC a 25-21 win in the third and its second consecutive 3-0 victory.
The Tar Heels will have a few hours to rest before returning to Rec Hall for the final match of the Penn State Classic, a meeting with seven-time national champion No. 9 Penn State. The match, with is set to begin at 7 p.m., will be streamed live on BTN Plus.
