The No. 9 North Carolina volleyball team swept No. 16 Florida State to remain undefeated in the ACC (25-12, 25-22, 25-21).
What happened?
The Tar Heels (12-2, 5-0 ACC) did not panic and trusted their training and teammates when it mattered most Friday against Florida State (11-3, 4-1 ACC). The final score did not accurately represent the parity between the two teams throughout the game. The Tar Heels benefitted from mid-set runs, and they capitalized on Seminole errors to capture their fifth consecutive win.
North Carolina jumped out to an early lead in the first set, taking advantage of seven Florida State errors. Sydnye Fields and the North Carolina front line dominated the net and to prevent the Seminoles from getting into a rhythm.
Expecting a push from Florida State in the second set, the Tar Heels steadied the ship after the Seminoles surged to an early 4-1 lead. The Tar Heels caught back up at 12-12 and did not look back, riding Julia Scoles’ five kills and Sheila Doyle’s nine digs.
In the third set, the Seminoles again started strong, jumping out to a 13-8 lead. But again, the Tar Heels answered with nine consecutive points, and they wrapped up the set without trailing after the run occurred.
Who stood out?
Taylor Leath led the team with 13 kills on the match, spearheading the North Carolina attack. Defensively, the redshirt sophomore managed to add three block assists and 12 digs to keep pivotal points alive.
Her number was called on the most to make an offensive play in both the second and third sets of the match. She was targeted 32 times, leading all players.
