With the start of conference play looming, the North Carolina volleyball team might have turned a corner on Saturday night against No. 20 Michigan.
The Tar Heels secured a 3-0 (25-18, 25-7, 25-19) victory over the Wolverines in Carmichael Arena — snapping a two-match losing streak at home.
UNC (3-6) had Michigan (10-1) scrambling from the outset, jumping out to leads of 5-1 and 12-1 in the first two sets, respectively.
The third set was hotly contested, as both teams exchanged leads. But North Carolina was able to pull out the victory with a 10-6 run starting in the middle of the set and strong play from seniors Victoria McPherson and Paige Neuenfeldt, both of whom had 10 kills on the night.
After redshirt junior Hayley McCorkle suffered an Achilles injury on Friday night, Taylor Fricano, a redshirt sophomore and transfer from Wisconsin, stepped in to fill the hole. She sparked the team in the first two sets and tallied 7.5 points in the match.
Coach Joe Sagula was impressed with Fricano’s intensity and the chemistry she has gained with the team since becoming eligible this season.
“I thought her presence and her being willing to go for it early was what was one of the big difference-makers,” Sagula said. "She started us.”
Fricano was quick to deflect the praise to her teammates.
“I got so many seams it was like cake, honestly,” Fricano said. “Everyone really brought up the morale for everybody else. Everyone was playing for each other, and that’s why it looked so easy, because everyone was doing their jobs.”
