Fresh Legs Help UNC Wear Down Blue Devils

Sometimes, the effect isn't just psychological or confidence boosting.

Sometimes, fresh legs make the difference.

North Carolina defeated Duke 3-1 (30-28, 14-30, 30-26, 30-16) on Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium by wearing down the Blue Devils.

On Friday against Wake Forest, UNC (11-3, 4-0 in the ACC) dropped the third game but defeated the Demon Deacons (6-5, 1-2) 3-1 by using 11 players at Reynolds Gym.

"(Wake) was more of a tactical match," UNC coach Joe Sagula said Saturday. "(Against Duke), I knew we would be fatigued. This was a physical and emotional contest."

Sagula prepared for the grueling nature of the Duke match by rotating ten players into the first game. The Blue Devils (11-1, 3-1), coming off a win against N.C. State the night before, made one substitution in the 30-28 Tar Heel win.

After that exhaustive game, UNC middle hitter Holly Strauss needed a breather. Better put, she needed a trash can into which she could throw up.

Into Strauss's place came sophomore Aletha Green, whose role was simple.

"My job is to block," said Green, who led the team with four blocks. "When Coach puts me in, that's what I'm supposed to do."

Said Sagula: "Aletha did a great job tonight. She allowed us to change up our strategy, give them different looks."

UNC lost the second game, 30-14, but the Tar Heels had established their rotation for the rest of the match.

Laura Greene, Eve Rackham, Nicole Reis and Malaika Underwood played the entire match, while Strauss and Melissa Higgins rotated with Green and Caroline deRoeck periodically throughout the final two games.

"Towards the end of the match," Sagula said, "I decided to go with what got us here. I wanted a consistency to our play, so I didn't substitute as much."

After winning the third game, 30-26, UNC cruised in the fourth, 30-16.

"They looked tired," Green said of the Blue Devils.

Sagula said, "We definitely had more pop in that last game."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.