Sophomores lead volleyball team on senior night

After a 3-0 sweep of Virginia Tech Friday, the North Carolina volleyball team celebrated Senior Night Saturday with a 3-1 defeat of Virginia.

And though the seniors were honored before the match, it was a pair of sophomores who ruled the weekend.

Sophomore Paige Neuenfeldt recorded 11 kills against UVa. and seven total blocks against the Hokies.

Fellow sophomore Victoria McPherson also impressed with a team-high 14 kills against the Cavaliers and nine kills against Virginia Tech.

Neuenfeldt’s performance doesn’t come as a surprise. The 6-foot-2 middle blocker began her career at UNC as a starter and was named ACC Freshman of the Year in 2012.

McPherson, who is also a middle blocker, had a slower start to her career at North Carolina. She earned her starting position late into her freshman season, saying she looked to Neuenfeldt as she grew into the role.

“Even though I wasn’t starting until the end of the season, it was nice to have her there to compare what I was doing to what she was doing to figure out how I could grow as a middle, also,” she said.

Coach Joe Sagula said the two work well together, especially when an opposing team has prepared for one and not the other.

“They both compliment each other well,” Sagula said. “Paige was a big surprise in playing so great last year and just played phenomenally.

“We told her, this year, everybody is going to be ready for her. So as good as Paige is — and she still plays really well for us – people have to focus on her and that opens up the door for Victoria.”

But capitalizing on openings isn’t the only benefit of having two strong sophomore middle blockers.

The duo unifies the team’s five-player sophomore class that is uniquely close. McPherson said it was the players’ relationships coming into UNC that made the group bond.

“Hayley (McCorkle) and I were roommates first week that we got here for summer school, so automatically that friendship started,” McPherson said. “And I remember being on visits with Taylor (Treacy) and playing with Leigh (Andrew) in high school and on club.

“We all have some kind of bond that started before we even started (at UNC). So, on and off the court, we’re all really close, we’re all really tight-knit together. It’s nice to have that personal level, not just ‘That’s my teammate.’ It’s also ‘That’s my friend.’”

Those close relationships lend to closer communication on the court. Sagula said that communicating was a team goal Friday and that the team strived to fill the 15-second gaps between each game with positive, constructive information.

McPherson said the sophomores could better present that information because of their relationships.

“I will shut down if someone’s in my face yelling at me, but certain people know how to talk to me to get me calmed down and back into a rhythm,” she said.

The sophomores have two years to improve on their volleyball and communication skills and for Neuenfeldt, the potential of the young team is promising .

“We’ve just learned so much as sophomores and having two more years after this is crazy to think about because where we came in and where we are now is completely different,” Neuenfeldt said.

“I think it’s pretty cool that we’re able to do so well with such a young team.”

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