Weekend Wrap-Up: UNC volleyball bounces back with win over Wake Forest

Sophomore setter Zoe Behrendt bounced the ball several times and then threw it up.

She slammed it cross-court. Out of bounds.

Against N.C. State in a packed William Neal Reynolds Coliseum on Friday night, UNC started the first set with a service error — something that plagued the Tar Heels for the remainder of the match. Regardless of the strong individual performances and spurts of momentum, UNC was unable to overcome its mistakes from the service line, leading to its second defeat of the season in a 3-1 loss to the Wolfpack. Then, on Sunday against Wake Forest, North Carolina minimized these errors, leading to a 3-0 bounce-back win. 

But against N.C. State, UNC's serving struggles were evident from the start, as the team committed a game-high eight service errors in the opening set alone. 

“Starting off strong is super important,” Behrendt said earlier in the season following a win over Michigan State. “Setting the tone for the entire game, I think it is in the first couple points.” 

Despite winning the first set 25-23, the inability to keep serves in play set the tone for North Carolina. In total, UNC finished the night with 18 service errors — seven shy of serving a full set away. But it wasn't just serves like Behrendt's that went long. North Carolina struggled to even get the ball over the net on serves throughout the match.

“There are certain service errors that you accept if we're being aggressive,” head coach Mike Schall said. “But then we've had some errors that were pretty uncharacteristic of us.” 

The errors disrupted the Tar Heels' offensive flow and allowed N.C. State to gain critical momentum and stay within striking distance. This inevitably hurt UNC in close sets.

After overcoming a four-point deficit and now leading 20-19 in the third set, sophomore outside hitter Safi Hampton was up to serve. Following several bounces and a spin, she sent the ball over to the other side. Out. Service error number 15. 

North Carolina was neck-and-neck with the Wolfpack in the third and fourth sets but wasn't able to finish. Schall said serving was a big part of the team not closing out. 

The service line woes were especially troubling given the depth of talent UNC has. Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Thorpe led the team with 10 kills, and graduate middle blocker Alexis Engelbrecht had a solid performance, registering four blocks. However, the offensive contributions were overshadowed by the service mistakes, which ultimately proved to be the difference-maker.

With a disappointing loss against N.C. State, UNC looked to rally back against Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon. Going into the game, Schall did not harp on his team about its serving but instead reminded them of who they are. 

UNC's first serve came from senior outside hitter Mabrey Shaffmaster, who is known for her aggressive swing. She launched the ball into the sky and smacked it with so much force that it landed out-of-bounds, giving Wake Forest its second point of the match.

But the Tar Heels didn't let this early error affect them. 

Up 24-16 with a chance to win the second set, Behrendt directed the ball toward the left side of the backline. Wake Forest received it, but the return was off-balance. The ball hit into the net. Ace. 

UNC went on to sweep the Demon Deacons 3-0. The Tar Heels were sharper throughout the match, limiting their service errors to just nine — half the number they had recorded two days earlier. The more controlled serving helped them dictate the tempo, forcing Wake Forest into difficult positions.

While Schall was pleased with how the team bounced back, the Tar Heels will have to clean up their service game in order to find more success this season.

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