A combination of underclassmen youth and senior leadership went a long way toward securing a 3-2 win for the North Carolina volleyball team Saturday afternoon against Ohio — the Tar Heels’ ninth non-conference win in a row.
“We have a really good mix of senior leaders and some really good underclassmen that are making strides each day in practice to come along and get more mature,” assistant coach Tyler Adams said.
Senior outside hitter Emily McGee showed her maturity by recording 15 kills with just eight errors, as well as 10 digs and 3 blocks to help lead her team to victory against a scrappy Ohio team.
McGee wasn’t the only one who made an impact on the match, though.
Redshirt sophomore Chaniel Nelson also stepped up as a leader, adding 13 kills, 12 digs and 6 blocks to the UNC stat line.
Nelson said that she makes her mark on this team by keeping her own energy up and leading by example for the younger players on the team.
“I try to bring a positive energy and show (the freshman) how to stay strong through everything; if you make a mistake don’t let it bother you through the next point and we really encourage one another,” Nelson said.
Freshman Victoria McPhearson came off the bench in the third set and quickly racked up nine kills on 15 attempts with only two errors, giving her a hitting percentage of .467 – the highest of the match for North Carolina.
The leadership and acceptance from players like McGee and Nelson has had a big impact on the underclassmen of this team, and that, in turn, gives the younger players confidence to play well and contribute to the squad’s success.
“We have good depth all the way across with a good group of underclassmen, and tonight they helped us a lot,” Adams said.
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