Leigh Andrew, Paige Neuenfeldt lead UNC volleyball to win over N.C. State

The seniors wanted to give Carmichael Arena a farewell worth remembering. 

When No. 22 North Carolina defeated N.C. State 3-1 (25-19, 25-18, 20-25, 25-14) on Wednesday night, middle hitter Paige Neuenfeldt and outside hitter Leigh Andrew left everything on the court in their final regular season home game. 

“Whenever we needed a big point, we went to them, and they came through, which you want your veterans to do,” said Coach Joe Sagula of his seniors’ performances.

In the first set, Neuenfeldt tallied three kills and a block, while Andrew gained four kills and two digs. 

Neuenfeldt and Andrew both recorded a kill in the set's waning moments. At set point, Neuenfeldt fired a serve the Wolfpack was unable to send back over the net, putting UNC up one set. 

“Leadership comes from just knowing what to do at the right time," Sagula said. "And (the seniors) did that really well tonight for us.”

But after clinching the second set, the team struggled in the third.

Errors plagued North Carolina and allowed N.C. State to get an edge. In the first and second sets, the Tar Heels had only two errors per set. In the third set, they tallied seven. 

Even as the team struggled, Andrew continued to shine.

Her four kills and a dig for the set kept the Tar Heels competitive even as they struggled to connect on passing. 

And following a disappointing third set, the Tar Heels followed Andrew’s lead to sharpen their intensity for the fourth.

“We know that we’re the better team and we let them have a set and it was just frustrating for us, so I knew that we were going to come back with a lot of fight,” Neuenfeldt said.

Although she struggled in the third set, Neuenfeldt renewed her early prowess in the final set, adding another ace in her final set in Carmichael Arena.

But it was Andrew who got the last word.

On match point, she found a hole in N.C. State’s front line and fired a kill to claim the match for the Tar Heels. 

““It was just kind of a ball that was thrown up, a bad pass," Andrew said, "And (setter Abigail Curry) put it in a great spot, and I found the open spot on the court, and that was the game.” 

It was then she realized her final kill was a farewell to her years in Carmichael Arena. 

“I kind of just took it all in right there," Andrew said. "It’s pretty cool to go out with this being the last home game and have the last kill, and something I’ll remember forever.”

Andrew had 15 kills for the match, more than any other player on the court for both sides. Combined, she and Neuenfeldt contributed 28.5 points to UNC for the match. 

But the seniors shined beyond statistics. It was their leadership that Sagula cited as a key to his team’s success.

“Regardless of what the numbers are, they’re just so important to us,” he said. "Leadership comes from just knowing what to do at the right time. And (the seniors) did that really well tonight for us.”

@BlakeR_95

sports@dailytarheel.com