Consistency bolsters No. 9 UNC volleyball in sweeps of No. 16 Florida State and Miami

The No. 9 North Carolina volleyball team exceeded its goals of consistency in the sweeps of No. 16 Florida State and Miami on Friday and Sunday.

Behind the steadiness of first-year Julia Scoles and encouragement from sophomore Casey Jacobs, the Tar Heels (14-2, 6-0 ACC) persevered for back-to-back dominant wins over the Seminoles (12-3, 5-1 ACC) and Hurricanes (7-11, 1-5 ACC) to secure their sixth straight win.

“I think we had a common goal to come out and stay consistent, take each set by itself and just continue into the next set,” Scoles said. “And not let one set determine the rest.”

Scoles held the same strength during both games this weekend. But with the accolades she’s amassed this season, that should come as no surprise.

The outside hitter won ACC Freshman of the Week two weeks in a row early in the season and was named All-Tournament MVP in the Penn State Classic.

And earlier this week, she was named ACC Player of the Week — making her the first UNC player since 1989 to win the honor as a true first-year.

“She is a very smart player, even for being so young ...” Jacobs said. “She goes after it all the time, and it’s like raw athleticism.

“She’s very, very good at knowing — she doesn’t even know it. She just does it.”

Jacobs said Scoles struggled with her passing when she joined the team in the spring. But with experience, the first-year outside hitter has become a stable force for the Tar Heels this season.

“It’s cool to see how much she still has to learn, too,” Jacobs said. “She’s going to be even better in a couple short months.”

While Scoles was a constant for UNC with her on-the-court dominance, Jacobs was consistent in her encouragement.

Against Florida State and Miami, the sophomore defensive specialist cheered on the sidelines with a big grin, yelling words of support to her team.

“(Jacobs) did amazing,” Scoles said. “Her energy on the court is contagious, and she goes all out for every ball. It really makes everyone else better.”

During Sunday’s game, Jacobs got her chance to play.

Coach Joe Sagula elected to rest redshirt sophomore Taylor Leath in anticipation of a tough Friday matchup against Notre Dame — the only team besides UNC with an undefeated conference record.

Jacobs came up with one dig and zero points in two sets against Miami. But her presence didn’t go unnoticed.

“She’s just a joy,” Sagula said. “She has a great spirit. She’s a caring person, she really gets a thrill when other people succeed, and it’s just contagious. She makes other people feel good about their performance on the court ...”

“She’s a great team player. Her heart is really behind the team.”

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