Match Stats
- #10 North Carolina def. Georgia Tech 3-0 (25-19, 28-26, 25-23)
- UNC moves to 11-2 (3-0 ACC); Georgia Tech falls to 10-5 (1-2 ACC)
- Atlanta, Georgia (Georgia Tech hosted)
The North Carolina Tar Heels moved to 3-0 in ACC play with their first conference sweep of the season on Friday, on the road, at Georgia Tech.
North Carolina’s front row made a big early statement with 6 team blocks in the first set en route to 11.0 overall on the match. Middles Taylor Fricano (6) and Sydnye Fields (5) led the way at the net, while outside hitter Taylor Leath chipped in 3 blocks and a match-leading 16 kills (.250 hitting percentage) for the Tar Heels.
The first set, where Georgia Tech had 10 kills but matched it with 10 errors, had all the momentum going the way of the Tar Heels. The score was tied 7-7 before UNC went on a 9-3 run to break the scoring open. While Georgia Tech played better the rest of the match, the Yellow Jackets couldn’t pick up a set – even in the 2nd where they hit for a higher average than UNC (14 kills, 4 errors, .256).
Georgia Tech didn’t hit as well as UNC outside of that 2nd set, but were just as strong defensively with 10.5 team blocks and 50 digs in 3 sets.
“I think that North Carolina is such a good team that we just have to be efficient with everything that we did,” Georgia Tech head coach Michelle Collier said. “I’m super proud of the way that we played tonight. I think defensively we had almost the same number of blocks as they did and they are one of the best blocking teams in our conference. I think we passed very well. We changed a couple things throughout the match and players came in and responded.
Lauren Pitz was the highlight of the day for Georgia Tech, with 8 kills on .533 hitting, plus 1 solo and 6 block assists.
Videos
Press Releases
Courtesy North Carolina Athletics:
ATLANTA – No. 10 North Carolina continued its winning ways on Friday night, exhibiting poise down the stretch to defeat a tough Georgia Tech team in straight sets (25-19, 28-26, 25-23). Unaffected by a boisterous and passionate crowd, the 10th-ranked Tar Heels came out of at Atlanta with a sweep for just the second time since 1988 to improve to 11-2 (3-0 ACC) on the season, while Georgia Tech fell to 10-5 (1-2 ACC).
The Tar Heel front row exploded for six blocks in the first set alone, posting a total of 11.0 stuffs in the match. Carolina was led at the net by middles Taylor Fricano (6) andSydnye Fields (5), while pin hitters Julia Scoles, Taylor Treacy and Taylor Leath each put up three apiece, andHayley McCorkle contributed an additional pair.
Leath led the match with 15 kills on the night, falling a dig short of a double-double with nine. Treacy and Scoles followed with kills 10 each, and McCorkle added nine.
Abigail Curry and Mariah Evans teamed up at setter, as Curry totaled 22 assists while Evans dished out 15 assists and six digs. Senior libero Sheila Doyle led the Tar Heel back row with 15 digs, while Scoles registered her seventh double-double of the season with 13 digs.
Carolina landed four aces in the match, with two each from Doyle and Fricano.
A strong run by Carolina midway through the first set gave UNC a solid 15-10 lead. Georgia Tech took advantage of three Tar Heel attack errors to close the gap to one, but a kill by Leath kept UNC on top and two late blocks made it 23-17. Georgia Tech wiped off two UNC set points, but Leath ended the opening frame with a kill to win it for UNC, 25-19.
Carolina led the second set early, but Georgia Tech tied the score at 16 on a service ace by Ashley Askin. The Yellow Jackets took the lead for the first time 20-19, on another ace, but a kill and a block by Leath put UNC back in front, 21-20. The Tar Heels never again allowed Georgia Tech back in front, but the Yellow Jackets held off three set points before a service ace by Fricano finally closed the second, 28-26.
The Tar Heels opened up an early 7-3 lead and appeared to be cruising through the third, when Georgia Tech surged back to tie the score at 19. Kills by Lauren Pitz and Teegan Van Gunst gave the Yellow Jackets a 23-21 lead, but Carolina replied to win the next four points and secure the match with a 25-23 victory in the third.
UNC concludes its seven-match road trip on Sunday, Oct. 2, with a conference contest at Clemson. The Tar Heels will square off against the Tigers at 1 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Courtesy Georgia Tech Athletics:
THE FLATS – The Georgia Tech volleyball team (10-5, 1-2 ACC) fell 3-0 to No. 10 North Carolina (11-2, 3-0) in front of an enthusiastic crowd on Friday night at O’Keefe Gym.
How It Happened
Tied 7-7 in game one, North Carolina used a 9-3 rally to create space and gain momentum in the set. The Jackets pulled within one point, 16-15, but a 9-4 Tar Heel run gave North Carolina the set, 25-19.
The second set was nip and tuck with 13 tied scores up until the very end as the teams battled to 26-26. North Carolina held on and escaped the game with a 28-26 win.
The Yellow Jackets fought back from a 15-10 deficit in game three to knot the set 19-19. From there, both teams traded the lead and at 23-23, North Carolina was able to seal the deal 25-23.
Quote
“I think that North Carolina is such a good team that we just have to be efficient with everything that we did,” head coachMichelle Collier said. “I’m super proud of the way that we played tonight. I think defensively we had almost the same number of blocks as they did and they are one of the best blocking teams in our conference. I think we passed very well. We changed a couple things throughout the match and players came in and responded.
“That atmosphere is just unbelievable. It’s fun to come out here, there’s so much energy. Our fans are behind us every time, it doesn’t matter what the score is. It’s a special place and I think we competed well for them, we played hard and we’ll keep working hard to put ourselves in a position to win Sunday.”
Quick Hits
– Lauren Pitz had eight kills on .533 hitting to go along with six block assists and a solo block
– Teegan had 10 kills to lead Georgia Tech and mark her eighth straight game with double-digit kills
– Gabriela Stavnetchei added eight kills
– London Ackermann put up a team-best 11 digs
– Rebecca Martin tallied her third double-double of the season with 18 assists and 10 digs
Up Next
The Jackets host NC State on Sunday at 1 p.m. on the ACC Network Extra.
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