University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
11-10, 8-5ACC
Boston College
6-17, 3-10ACC
Tar Heels Preserve Perfect Record Against Eagles in 3-0 Sweep
November 3, 2017 | Volleyball
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina returned to its winning ways on Friday night, taking down Boston College in straight sets, 25-23, 25-13, 25-15. The Tar Heels captured their eighth straight home victory, improving to 7-0 in ACC play and 10-1 overall in Chapel Hill this season. With the win, Carolina moves back above .500 to 11-10 (8-5 ACC), while Boston College slips to 6-17 (3-10 ACC).
"It's really good to get a win at home," said head coach Joe Sagula. "It's good to get a win and to do it in three sets. It was a great team effort. I don't think we played a great first set. I think Boston College let us off the hook with too many service errors. I think the difference was we played hard and made plays in the second set when we needed to and we actually controlled the match in the second set. That's something we hadn't done. We looked comfortable and played hard and were successful. And I think it was great that we came back in the third set. We took control from then on and didn't let them back in the match. That's the difference."
Sophomore libero Mia Fradenburg returned to the court for the Tar Heels, making her first appearance since the start of ACC play after being sidelined for 12 matches with a concussion. The Durham, North Carolina, native led the match with 16 digs, including 10 in the first set, and narrowly missed her first-ever double-double with a career-high nine assists.
"It was awesome (to have Mia back)," said sophomore Taylor Borup, who led the Tar Heels with 11 kills in the match. "She's a very calm player, so it's nice to have her there. She's very steady. When it's her receiving, I know that she can literally take up half the court. We all have confidence in her, so it's fun playing with her back."
"It felt great to put the jersey back on and play next to my teammates again," said Fradenburg. "It just felt really good."
Borup's team-leading 11 kills were followed closely by Beth Nordhorn and Taylor Leath, who each tallied nine.
"I thought Taylor Borup had a really good match," said Sagula. "She had a really good week of practice, and I'm excited to see her do that. We're staying on her and to get the 11 kills and the pace we need, she got a bunch of them in the third set when we needed it."
Holly Carlton registered a team-high 13 assists, while Kendra Koetter matched Fradenburg with nine to go with 11 digs. Leath and Casey Jacobs each turned in eight digs, and Carlton added six.
"I thought Kendra was the unsung hero of the team tonight," said Sagula. "She did a great job with her defense. She made some great sets, but I thought her coverage…In the second set I thought she was very determined. Good digs, good coverage and just played real scrappy tonight and I'm really excited to see that."
Carolina totaled seven blocks in the match, with five from Nordhorn and four by Carlton.
North Carolina maintained its pristine record against the Eagles, improving to 22-0 all time against Boston College, including 11-0 at home. The three-game sweep was the fifth straight for UNC at Carmichael Arena, as Carolina has not lost a set to BC at home since 2009.
Carolina used a three-point run to take a 12-8 lead early in the first set, but kills by Amaka Chukwujekwu and Lynn Braakhuis tied the score at 14. The Tar Heels forged back ahead, 21-17 on kills by Leath and Madison Laufenberg, but a pair of blocks helped the Eagles knot the score at 22. Another BC block made it 23-23, before Mckenna Goss served a ball out of bounds. Carlton and Nordhorn then teamed up for a block to take the opener, 25-23.
Back-to-back Carlton-Nordhorn blocks gave UNC a quick 6-2 lead in the second set. A 7-1 run down the stretch gave Carolina a monstrous 22-11 advantage, and Leath finished off the frame with a kill for the 25-13 victory. UNC held BC to a -.089 hitting percentage behind four blocks and 21 digs in the frame.
Boston College took the early lead in the third set, but a four-point run midway through the set made it 12-10 Tar Heels, and Carolina never again trailed. Three straight UNC kills made it 17-12, then Jacobs served out the match, as UNC rattled off the final seven points to win the third set, 25-15, and complete the sweep.
The Tar Heels' final homestand continues on Sunday, Nov. 5, with a visit from Syracuse. The Orange will take on Carolina at 1 p.m.
