UNC Opens Home Slate with Carolina Classic

CHAPEL HILL – After opening the 2018 season at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Minnesota, North Carolina returns home to host UNCG, Maryland Eastern Shore and Michigan State for the Carolina Classic Friday-Saturday at Carmichael Arena.

North Carolina will play UNCG 6:30 p.m. Friday, Maryland Eastern Shore 1 p.m. Saturday and cap off the weekend with Michigan State Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Each match of the tournament will be streamed live on the ACC Network Extra with stats available on unclivestats.com. For more information about this weekend's tournament, visit the Carolina Classic tournament central on GoHeels.com.

About the Tar Heels

The Tar Heels are 8-2 in home openers in the past 10 seasons. During that span, the only two losses came against No. 1 Penn State in 2010 and No. 19 San Diego in 2011.
Carolina started four newcomers in both matches at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with defensive specialist Casey Jacobs, middle blocker Katharine Esterley and libero Mia Fradenburg returning from 2017.
Newcomers Hunter Atherton and Destiny Cox made an immediate impact as six-rotation players. Both Atherton (44 assists, 11 digs) and Cox (22 kills, 15 digs) recorded their first double-doubles in Carolina Blue against No. 4 Minnesota.
Middle blocker Katharine Esterley led the team in blocks with seven total, including a solo block.
The 2018 Tar Heels are a young team with only three seniors and six true freshmen. Only seven student-athletes return to the court in 2018 while welcoming nine newcomers, including three transfers.

About the UNCG Spartans
Staying in the Tar Heel state, UNCG hits the road down I40 for the Carolina Classic - the sixth trip to Chapel Hill. The Spartans went 2-1 at the Spartan-Demon Classic last weekend which took place in both Greensboro at Winston-Salem. Led by hitters Emily Keilen and Holly Behrends with 42 and 36 kills, respectively.

Opened the season with a five-set win over Air Force as part of the Spartan-Demon Classic. Split Saturday's matches, falling to Maryland before topping Wake Forest 3-1.
Has two setters: Allison Penner (7.00 A/S) and Giana Rasmussen (3.89 A/S)
Picked fifth in SoCon preseason coaches' poll.
Finished 2017 with a 19-12 record, including an 11-5 mark in SoCon play and return all but four players from last year's squad. Among the 11 letterwinners from last season are senior setter Allison Penner, a 2017 first-team All-SoCon selection, and sophomore outside hitter Holly Behrends, who garnered All-Freshmen SoCon honors.

About the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks
Looking for its first win of 2018, Maryland Eastern Shore wraps up its six-match roadtrip at the Carolina Classic. The Hawks were winless at the UIC Invitational to open the season, facing Central Michigan, Bryant and host UIC. Lucia Babic led the Hawks with 44 kills, attacking at a .228 clip through three matches.

Opened the 2018 season at the UIC Invitational in Chicago and went 0-3.
Maryland Eastern Shore was picked to win the MEAC Northern Division in 2018 in the preseason poll. Senior Lucia Babic, who led the Hawks in kills last weekend, was named the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year.
After serving as an interim head coach beginning in January, Trevor Callarman was named the Hawks head coach through the 2019 season on August 23.
Volunteer assistant Evann Slaughter officially joined the Hawks' staff on Wednesday. She was a stand-out middle blocker at Stony Brook and the 2010 America East Rookie of the Year. The Maryland native is pursuing her doctorate in Physical Therapy at Maryland Eastern Shore while coaching.

About the Michigan State Spartans
After opening the 2018 season at Tennessee, Michigan State travels to UNC for the second time. The Spartans went 2-1 in Knoxville to slip from the AVCA top-25 rankings after a loss to host, Tennessee. Sophomore Alyssa Chronowski led the Spartans with double-digit kills in every match this season while tallying nine blocks.

Ranked No. 22 in AVCA Preseason Poll, but dropped out in Week 2. The Spartans are still receiving votes with 41 after going 2-1 at Tennessee.
Picked ninth in the Big Ten preseason poll
Finished 2017 with a 24-9 overall record, and were 14-6 for a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten Conference. MSU graduated seven athletes from the 2017 team, including its entire starting rotation. The only returning starter from last year's NCAA team is sophomore libero Jamye Cox.

Carolina wraps up tournament play at Colorado, facing Oklahoma, Georgia and host, Colorado Sept. 7-9. The Tar Heels return to Carmichael Arena on Sep. 14 to host North Dakota State at 6:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Hunter Atherton

Destiny Cox

Katharine Esterley

Mia Fradenburg

Casey Jacobs

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