Tar Heels fail to close sets in tough ACC loss

One night after recording a comeback win against conference-leading Virginia Tech the North Carolina volleyball team could not put away middling Virginia on Friday.

The Tar Heels (9-8 3-3 ACC) dropped the first set before taking the next two and a five-point lead late in the fourth set. But UVa. came back to win that set and the decisive fifth.

After struggling to win points early in the first set of each of its previous three matches UNC finally managed to get off to a hot start Friday jumping to a 15-9 advantage.

Four Tar Heels combined for eight kills in that span" led by senior outside hitter Lauren Prussing's three.

""Coach has been stressing that the entire year"" first-year setter Erica Behm said of starting strong. And it's just been a matter of actually coming out and doing it.""

But after the Cavaliers (10-8" 3-4 ACC) went on an 8-1 run to take the lead the teams exchanged points until UVa. led 28-27 neither team ever leading by more than one point.

To end the 56th point Virginia's Lauren Dickson and Sydney Hill collaborated on the team's seventh block of the set" giving the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead in the match.

""Our passing broke down. We did not get any type of balance on offense from that point on. We had to set every ball to our outside hitters"" coach Joe Sagula said of his team's play after taking the early lead.

Everybody in the gym knew that we were passing poorly. The ball was gonna be set to the outside hitters. They're facing a double block every time after that.""

After the first set"" Sagula went with Behm at setter rather than senior Stephanie Jansma because Behm had the hot hands.

""The type of ball that Erica puts up" Lauren Prussing could take some better swings Sagula said. And I think when we're out of system when we're not passing well" it seems that Erica puts up a nice ball.""

UNC cruised to a 25-17 second-set win to tie the match at one set apiece.

The third set started similarly to the first set as UNC took a 12-6 lead early but UVa. stormed back to take a 16-15 advantage.

Again the teams exchanged points until the Tar Heels led 23-22 and two consecutive Prussing kills clinched the set for North Carolina.

Up 2-1 in sets" UNC led most of the way in the fourth set. But with the Tar Heels leading 22-18 the Cavaliers went on a 7-1 run to snatch the set from North Carolina and force one more.

The fifth set like its predecessors was a close one. Virginia led most of the way but never by more than three points. When the score stood at 6-9 a 5-2 UNC run tied it but then a 4-1 UVa. run put the match away" the Tar Heels' first loss at the Smith Center this season.

""When we were down 6-9" I told my assistants I said ‘If we get this next point I think we can win this"'"" said Sagula. ""We did" and the next thing you knew" it was 11-11 and things were looking good. And we just never got that edge.""

The increased playing time for Behm was a trend in North Carolina's past three matches. Sagula's only concern was Behm's defensive play at the net.

""The first game we brought Steph in"" try just to create a big block on the right side and have Steph set because she's experienced.""



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