After a long trip to Ohio last weekend where the North Carolina volleyball team swept the Bobcat Invitational, the squad returned to Chapel Hill Friday night and picked up right where it left off.
The No. 18 Tar Heels (7-0) defeated George Washington in their opening match of the Carolina Classic 3-0 with scores of 25-14, 25-23 and 25-10.
With the win, the squad remains undefeated with a 7-0 record, heading into two more matches Saturday with James Madison and Albany.
Though he was pleased with his team’s play in the first and third sets, coach Joe Sagula said the two-point second set victory was too close for comfort.
“That second set, I was very perturbed,” he said.
“I didn’t think we passed well, we’re not communicating. I also thought that George Washington played some really good defense. They dug some balls that we hit with pretty good swings there.”
When his team entered the locker room during the break before the third set, his message was brief.
“I spoke to a couple players — individuals that needed to bring up their game. Some of us were just not being very patient, we were just rushing through things,” he said.
“I told them to calm down and be a lot more focused … I thought we were playing a little bit more individual.”
His words quickly resonated, as the Tar Heels quickly grabbed a 10-2 lead just minutes into the final set.
Middle blocker Victoria McPherson and outside hitter Jovana Bjelica combined for 15 of the team’s 37 kills on the night. Four of McPherson’s six came in the first set alone. With the Tar Heels leading 19-13, Heather Gearhart served a powerful ball over the net, setting McPherson up for an immediate kill when the Colonials returned it softly.
“My favorite thing in the world is when it comes over on a first pass because it’s like you don’t even need a pass or a set to put it up. It’s just like ‘Alright, Vic, go up and hit,’’’ McPherson said.
“They don’t expect you to get up and get it back fast. That’s a middle’s chance to just slam it.”
Bjelica said that the team might have been fighting off nerves that come with the first home game of the season in the second set, but that she felt like her team adjusted to a varying tempo in the third.
“Everyone was here watching us and we had the pressure of No. 18. We wanted to show that we are as good as we are. I think that cost a little bit,” she said.
“But in the third set I think we showed how we can play and what is Carolina volleyball.”
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