No one has played a more important role in the North Carolina women's volleyball six-game winning streak than senior hitter Lauren Prussing.
Prussing is the top Tar Heels hitter this season averaging just fewer than three kills per set.
She has led the team in kills in five of the six games on their streak" averaging 12 kills a match.
Coach Joe Sagula said Prussing has become more effective and accurate throughout the season.
""The key stat is not only that she's leading in kills" but her kill average" Sagula said. (Lately) she's really probably averaging four for us.
""If you get an outside hitter averaging four hits per set"" that's awesome.""
The Tar Heels once again will be relying on Prussing when they face conference rival Duke tonight.
The Blue Devils have won five in a row against the Tar Heels" the longest such winning streak for Duke since taking seven straight ending in the 1993 season.
The last time the North Carolina faced off against Duke in early October" the Tar Heels lost in four sets and found themselves just one game above .500 in the ACC and struggling to win on the road.
""I don't think we went into the Duke match earlier in the season with the right mentality — going on the road to beat a team like that" Sagula said.
The other problem is we played them so early in the season" and you never realize the significance.
""I'm not worried about that now.""
Now"" the Tar Heels have worked their way into a three-way tie for first place in the ACC with Duke and Clemson.
Their season-long goal of winning the ACC Championship hangs in the balance tonight.
""This is probably the biggest match that we're going to play this year" Prussing said.
One because it's against Duke our rival. And two" because we want to knock them out of first place.
""This match is basically for the ACC Championship.""
Sagula said this season's team reminds him of UNC's 2005 ACC Champion squad.
""It's really similar to what 2005 was" he said. That's a great feeling to say we're in it we're confident" and we know we can beat these teams.
""We have to go out and play well"" but there are no gimmes.""
In 2005" Prussing was only a freshman" but her teammates already were confident in her abilities — voting her as one of the team's two rookies of the year.
""In that year" Lauren played the supportive role" Sagula said.
The other outside hitter that year had significantly more kills. Lauren has slowly emerged as a go-to player.""
Prussing said she couldn't have asked for more than a chance to play for the conference title during her senior year.
""It's no secret that in 2006 and 2007 we didn't do as well as we wanted to"" Prussing said. But it feels like we've come full circle now.
""We won the ACC Championship my freshmen year"" and we're right there this year.""
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