Losing its first four conference matches is something the North Carolina volleyball team could never have expected. Not after breezing through non-conference play with an 11-0 record, at least.
But since falling at Florida State on Oct. 3, the Tar Heels have completely returned to form. After a 3-1 win over N.C. State on Wednesday, UNC has now won five straight matches.
The Tar Heels’ performance against the Wolfpack showcased everything that fueled their big turnaround in ACC play — increased confidence and trust.
UNC’s quartet of outside hitters, including first-year Mabrey Shaffmaster, sophomore Kaya Merkler and graduate students Nia Robinson and Emily Zinger, all posted double-digit kills against N.C. State, and the team finished with 63 kills as a whole.
The Tar Heels struggled to get kills and produce offense during their losing streak, but now an increased level of trust in each other is helping UNC gain rhythm offensively.
“I think we took some pretty big rips tonight, and I think that is showing how aggressive we can be,” Zinger said. “So I think that’s how we kind of correlated the mindset of just ripping the ball as hard as we can and just knowing that our team has our back.”
Shaffmaster credited the team’s weekly meetings with their sports psychologist as playing a key role in helping them build team-wide trust, but increased confidence is also playing a significant role in the Tar Heels’ turnaround.
“We’re here because we know how to play volleyball, and there’s no reason for us to be worried that we’re going to make a mistake every time we step on the court,” Shaffmaster said. “I think everyone just played free and we just trust each other a lot more than we did before.”
Head coach Joe Sagula echoed Shaffmaster's sentiments.
