Entering the 2015 season with a No. 7 preseason ranking — the highest in program history — the Tar Heels embraced the pressure as they headed to the Women of Troy Baden Invitational in Los Angeles.
But the truth came quickly.
North Carolina (1-2) dropped its first two matches to No. 22 USC and No. 11 BYU, each by a 3-1 margin, before sweeping Chicago State 3-0 (25-20, 25-9, 25-8).
“We were able to make some big kills, get some big blocks and play good volleyball,” Coach Joe Sagula said. “But just not consistently enough.”
The Tar Heels challenged USC (3-0) early, splitting the first two sets and battling through the third. But the hosting Women of Troy asserted their home dominance in the final set, pummeling UNC 25-11.
“For our first match of the year, it was a really good match,” Sagula said. “We really kind of bombed out in that fourth set. We just couldn’t sustain that level.”
Against BYU (2-1), UNC claimed a tight first set before dropping the next two. The Tar Heels jumped out to a 22-16 advantage in the fourth set, but the Cougars roared back to close out the match.
“We have to be a lot more aggressive,” Sagula said. “Even when plays aren’t perfect, we can’t be conservative against good teams. It can only take you so far.”
