University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
10-2, 2-0ACC
Boston College
5-7, 0-2ACC
Carolina Escapes Eagles' Comeback For Five-Set Victory
September 25, 2016 | Volleyball
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| Postgame Infographic |
CHESTNUT HILL, MASS. – No. 12 Carolina volleyball cruised to a 2-0 match lead, but an hour later the Tar Heels found themselves facing match point at Boston College, down 14-13 in the fifth set. UNC retained its poise and battled to a 21-19 victory to claim its second five-set victory of the week. The win, with set scores of 25-19, 25-17, 19-25, 21-25, 21-19, lifts Carolina to 10-2 (2-0 ACC), while Boston College falls to 5-7 (0-2 ACC).
The 3-2 win over the Eagles maintains the Tar Heels' perfect record against BC, as UNC improved to a flawless 20-0 all time against the ACC foe. It marked the second straight matchup in Chestnut Hill that needed five sets, as the Tar Heels erased an 0-2 deficit at Power Gym last November to spoil the Eagles' Senior Day.
Taylor Treacy and Julia Scoles led the Carolina attack, as Treacy hit .370 with 15 kills, while Scoles posted her second straight double-double with 14 kills and 12 digs.
Middle hitters Beth Nordhorn and Taylor Fricano were efficient on offense and at the net. Nordhorn hit .533 with nine kills and five blocks, and Fricano hit .556 with six kills and four blocks over three sets played.
Abigail Curry registered her fourth double-double of the year with 32 assists and 11 digs, while Mariah Evans dished out 24 assists.
Libero Sheila Doyle notched her third consecutive 20-dig performance with a match-leading 24, and Taylor Leath put up 12 digs to go with nine kills.
Carolina hit .364 with just on error in the first set, but struggled to maintain the consistency, finishing the afternoon with a .260 clip while holding Boston College to .215.
An early run by Boston College put the Eagles ahead 8-5, but an ace by Scoles tied the score at eight. The set remained tight until a five-point run served out by Fricano lifted Carolina in front 21-17. A block by Sydnye Fields and Taylor Treacy made it 23-18, and a BC ball-handling error closed out the frame, 25-19.
The Tar Heels took control in set two, racing ahead 12-6 on four consecutive kills by McCorkle and Scoles. Carolina never took its foot off the gas, winning four of the final five points to take the second set, 25-17. The Tar Heels had 19 kills in the frame as compared to just nine in the first, with five each from Treacy and McCorkle.
A four-point streak by BC flipped a 10-8 deficit to a 12-10 lead midway through the third set. Carolina tied the score at 15, but the Eagles did not allow UNC to pull back in front, and three-straight points down the stretch finished it off for Boston College, as the Eagles won the third, 25-19. After outhitting BC .304 to .206 through the first two sets, BC hit .368 in the third as compared to just .229 for the Tar Heels.
Boston College excelled down the stretch once again in the fourth set, pulling ahead 22-17 after a Treacy-Nordhorn block had tied the score at 14. The Tar Heels wiped away two attempts at set point, but an Eagle block sent the match to five, 25-21.
The fifth and final set was as contested as they come, featuring 17 tie scores and 11 lead changes. Early service errors kept Carolina from making a run, and soon BC pulled in front, 7-5. A kill and a block by Fricano helped UNC retake the lead, but three straight from Boston College put the Eagles back ahead, 12-10. A service ace by Tatiana Durr helped Carolina back on top, 13-12, but two straight kills by McKenna Goss gave BC the first match point of the day, 14-13.
Kills by Nordhorn and Treacy turned the tables to set up Tar Heel match point, 15-14, and another Treacy kill made it 16-15, but two UNC errors then reversed the score to 17-16. Carolina erased another BC match point with a kill by Leath, and soon the score was tied 19-19. Scoles wiped a difficult set off the block to set up fourth match point of the night, and—finally—an error by Jill Strockis closed the match, 21-19, in favor of UNC.
Carolina's extended road trip continues for one more week as the Tar Heels head south next weekend for Georgia Tech and Clemson. Opening serve at Georgia Tech is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, followed by a Sunday outing at Clemson at 1 p.m. Both matches will air live on ACC Network Extra (WatchESPN.com).
