The North Carolina volleyball team fell to a tough Virginia Tech Hokies squad Friday night in straight sets.
What happened?
The match started out promising for UNC (5-8, 1-3 ACC) with two kills from outside hitter Destiny Cox to help keep the game tied at two, but the excitement quickly dissipated as the Hokies (11-4, 2-1 ACC) followed up strong.
Before long, Virginia Tech stepped out to a 12-4 lead. The Hokies did not let up in the first set and the Tar Heels did not have an answer. The Hokies hit at an outstanding .577 clip while only recording one error in their 25-15 set victory.
The second set was a better effort for the Tar Heels. The set stayed close and UNC battled to tie it at 11-11 before a 5-point run put the team in a hole which proved too much to overcome. A late run did not prove fruitful and the second set ended, 25-19. The lone bright spot for North Carolina was defense, as the team held the Hokies to a .140 attacking percentage in the set.
The third set was closer than the others and UNC climbed back from a 5-point deficit to tie up the score at 23 with some solid defensive play. But two consecutive points on a kill and block secured the set victory and the match win for the Hokies.
Who stood out?
Noteworthy performances came from junior Mia Fradenburg, senior Casey Jacobs, and redshirt sophomore Hunter Atherton who played stout defense and each recorded nine digs in the contest. First-year Ava Bell also contributed at the net with five blocks. On the offensive end, Cox and Bell led the charge. Cox led the Tar Heels with seven kills, and Bell tacked on six.
