Despite his team’s straight-sets victory against George Washington Friday night in the first game of the Carolina Classic, North Carolina volleyball coach Joe Sagula knew his squad had a lot to improve on.
He also knew that the James Madison Dukes would provide more of a threat to UNC’s undefeated record in an early afternoon affair at Carmichael arena.
But consider that threat now averted.
The No. 18 Tar Heels defeated the Dukes in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader 3-0 with scores of 25-21, 25-22 and 25-23. Although all the sets were tight, Sagula said he saw some signs of progress that helped his team move to 8-0.
“I thought we played better today than last night,” Sagula said. “I thought our setters did a better job, and our blocking was great at times. We had 11 points in blocking which I though was really good.”
Senior outside hitter Kayla Berringer led the Tar Heels with 14 kills on the day, eight more than the next closest player. Berringer, one of only two seniors on the team, said she relishes the leadership role, especially in tight matches.
With all the youth on this year’s team, Berringer also said she knows it will be her job to encourage and motivate her young teammates.
“We have a lot of younger girls on the court right now,” she added. “And I think its my duty to kind of help bring the team along. If I contribute to the team, I know its gonna help other people play better.”
One of the players under Berringer’s tutelage is Taylor Treacy. The redshirt freshman, playing in only her second home game, contributed 8 kills, including a big run to close out the second set.
And after sitting out last year, an excited Treacy said she’s thrilled to finally join her teammates in competition.
“Taking a year off, it got to me,” Treacy said. “I hated not being able to play. Finally getting to come in and contribute to the team really means a lot to me. It’s just really exciting to be back on the court.”
UNC is off to its best start since 2002. And with such a young team, there is reason for optimism in Chapel Hill this season.
But despite the excitement, Sagula emphasized taking the season on step at a time, trying to improve every step of the way. “Pressure of a streak, those are the things you look back at,” he said. “We just want to keep playing better. It sounds maybe cliché, but we just want to continue improving the way we play the game. And we’re not satisfied with that yet.”
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