UPSET ALERT: #11 UNC Knocks #2 Wisconsin From Ranks of Undefeated

Match Stats

• #11 North Carolina defeats #2 Wisconsin 3-2 (25-23, 25-27, 23-25, 25-20, 15-11)
• ACC Big Ten Tournament Central

Recap

In a battle of unbeatens, the #11 North Carolina Tar Heels took a monstrous victory on Friday night, at home, with a win over the #2-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.

The win pushes UNC to 6-0 on the season and Wisconsin to 5-1 as both teams kicked off the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Friday.

North Carolina has scheduled a strong out-of-conference lineup this season, including a win over top-25 Penn State at the end of August, but this weekend represents their biggest test yet with a matchup against #5 Minnesota to come on Saturday.

Both teams hit well below their season averages in the matchup (.139 for Wisconsin, .206 for North Carolina), but North Carolina out-blocked Wisconsin 17-13 and had 12 more kills to make the difference. North Carolina led the NCAA in blocks per set coming in, and nearly matched their season average of 3.67 per set on Friday.

In the 5th-and-deciding set, North Carolina buckled down and recorded 9 kills and only 1 error for a massive .500 hitting percentage to seal the win in front of a crowd of nearly 4,000.

For Wisconsin, Kelli Bates continued to settle in well defensively in the new libero role that she’s playing for the first time this season. She recorded 20 digs to lead 5 Badgers in double figures in that category.

She was also called into her first serious offensive action of the season, however, and recorded 9 errors to just 7 kills on 39 total attacks for a -/051 hitting percentage.

Wisconsin will try and bounce back on Saturday with a matchup against Louisville, who is not ranked but received the 33rd-most votes in the lastest AVCA poll.

Press Releases

Courtesy Wisconsin Athletics:

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The second-ranked Wisconsin volleyball team dropped its first match of the season, falling at No. 11 North Carolina. The Badgers fell to the Tar Heels 25-23, 25-27, 23-25, 25-20, 15-11.

–          Wisconsin falls to 5-1 on the year; North Carolina improves to 6-0.

–          UW drops its first match of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, falling to 4-1 in the competition.

–          The Badgers had three players in double figure kills behind 15 kills from Tionna Williams. Haleigh Nelson added 14 kills and Molly Haggerty put away 12 kills.

–          UNC outhit UW .206 (71 kills – 29 errors – 204 attempts) to .139 (59-32-194)

–          The two teams combined for 30 blocks as The Tar Heels outblocked the Badgers 17-13.

–          Wisconsin was led by Kelli Bates with a career high seven blocks while Nelson also had seven blocks.

–          Five Badgers record double-figure digs as Wisconsin outdug UNC 87-82. Bates had 20 digs, Lauren Carlini 16 saves, Molly Haggerty 15 digs, M.E. Dodge 14 digs, and Amber MacDonald 12 digs.

–          Carlini picked up her 60^th career double-double with 51 assists and 16 digs. Haggerty also recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs.

–          UW wraps up the Challenge on Saturday against Louisville on Saturdayat 3 p.m.

Courtesy North Carolina Athletics:

Not available at time of posting.