Carolina Tops Oklahoma in Five-Set Thriller

Friday, September 7

Boulder, Colo.

5 PM

North Carolina

3-3

Oklahoma

4-3

North Carolina

Oklahoma

September 7, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

BOULDER, Colo. – With the match tied 14-14 in the fifth set, Ava Bell scored a pivotal ace for match point, setting up for North Carolina's five set win over Oklahoma on Friday afternoon in Boulder, Colorado. The Tar Heels fought back from a 2-1 deficit to close out the opening match of the Buffs Invite with a 3-2 victory.

Four Tar Heels recorded career highs in the match, highlighted by Hunter Atherton's double-double with 49 assists, 18 digs and an impressive eight kills. Destiny Cox led all hitters with 25 kills while Aristea Tontai and Madison Laufenberg posted double-digit kills of 14 and 10, respectively, for career bests. Katharine Esterley rounded out Carolina's scoring with six kills, blocking four Oklahoma attempts. Tontai also led all hitters with a .550 attack percentage while also recording four blocks.

Alyssa Enniking highlighted the Sooners' offense with 23 kills while Kylee McLaughlin set 60 of OU's 69 kills. Throughout the match, Carolina and Oklahoma battled through 14 lead changes, knotting the match 33 times before UNC sealed the deal. UNC improves to 3-3 on the season while OU slides to 4-3.

Trailing by as many as six, Carolina fought its way back to a 26-24 first set win thanks to a pair of 3-0 runs late in the frame. Both Atherton and Casey Jacobs scored aces en route to the opening win. Cox secured the set victory with her eighth kill.

Mirroring the first set, the Tar Heels worked their way back from an early deficit to knot the frame a 9-9 thanks to a solo block by Raleigh Clark. Carolina and Oklahoma battle through eight tie scores and six lead changes. The Sooners went on a 4-0 run to reclaim the edge until Cox swatted her 13th kill of the match. However, UNC was unable to come back, dropping the second set, 20-25.

Oklahoma's momentum continued in the third frame, taking the set, 25-21. Atherton made her presence known in the third set, earning five of Carolina's 15 kills in the stanza. The Tar Heels kept the score close, but a the Sooners were able to hold on to their lead.

The Tar Heels bounced back in the fourth set with a 25-16 victory. Carolina limited the Sooners to a .040 attack percentage in the frame, while hitting .417. Cox led the way with four kills. Carolina went on a 4-0 run with Atherton at the service line and never looked back to knot the match at 2-2.

After winning a challenge and hitting .714 to begin the fifth set, Oklahoma called the first timeout with Carolina up, 7-4. However, after switching sides, the Sooners knotted the frame, 12-12. UNC and OU tied the match at 13, 14 and 15 before Bell's ace gave the Tar Heels match point. A Sooner attack error clinched the 17-15 win for Carolina.

Saturday, the Tar Heels will take on host, No. 24 Colorado at 2 p.m. ET before wrapping up Sunday at 1 p.m. vs. Georgia. Fans can follow live stats at CUBuffs.com and watch Saturday's match on the Colorado Live Stream.

Carolina returns home to host North Dakota State its final nonconference home match Friday, Sept. 14 at 6:30 p.m.

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