University of North Carolina Athletics
Katharine Esterley
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
GoHeels Exclusive: Esterley's Play Provides Optimism, Olympic Sports Notes
November 27, 2017 | Volleyball, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
For the first time since 2009, the North Carolina volleyball team won't participate in the NCAA Tournament.
The Tar Heels concluded a disappointing 14-14 campaign with losses at Wake Forest on Wednesday and at Duke on Friday. But in a season that allowed a young roster to gain valuable experience as some players battled injuries, Katharine Esterley's play provided one of the most notable reasons to be optimistic about next season.
Esterley tallied 14 total block assists against Wake Forest and Duke. With those, she set a UNC freshman record by averaging 1.44 blocks per set on the season. Her 124 total block assists also broke Lindsay Smith's 1995 freshman record of 118.
But Esterley's season didn't just rank among the best by any freshman in program history. It was among the best by any player, as she finished fifth overall in single-season blocks per set and ninth in total block assists.
With multiple young players coming back and some key contributors returning from injury, Esterley will play a large role in helping the team return to its perch atop the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Jones provides a jolt off the bench
A preseason injury forced Jocelyn Jones to redshirt last season. But as a redshirt freshman, she's quickly established herself as a key bench player for the women's basketball team.
Jones scored a career-high 14 points for the second time in five games on Wednesday, helping UNC to an 86-60 victory over UNCW inside Carmichael Arena. Her performance came in just 21 minutes of playing time.
Despite coming off the bench, Jones ranks fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.8 points. She also averages a team-best 7.4 rebounds.
Men's soccer returns to the Elite 8
For the eighth time in the last 10 seasons, the men's soccer team advanced to the NCAA Championship quarterfinals with Saturday's 2-0 win over SMU. In the victory, Cam Lindley notched his 12th assist of the season, the most by any Tar Heel under Carlos Somoano.
UNC will now face Fordham in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship at 6 p.m. Saturday at Cary's WakeMed Soccer Park.
Macri makes impressive debut
In his first match last season, Dalton Macri, then at Cornell, sustained an injury that ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of the year. He transferred to UNC during the offseason. And on Sunday at Carmichael Arena, he returned to the mat and made his Tar Heel debut.
Macri, No. 10 nationally in InterMat's 125-pound rankings, recorded two early takedowns against Appalachian State's De'Andre Swinson-Barr. Leading 7-2 after two periods, Macri added two more takedowns and 4:45 of riding time for a 12-3 major decision.
Macri's major accounted for one of three by UNC in its 30-6 victory over Appalachian State.
For the first time since 2009, the North Carolina volleyball team won't participate in the NCAA Tournament.
The Tar Heels concluded a disappointing 14-14 campaign with losses at Wake Forest on Wednesday and at Duke on Friday. But in a season that allowed a young roster to gain valuable experience as some players battled injuries, Katharine Esterley's play provided one of the most notable reasons to be optimistic about next season.
Esterley tallied 14 total block assists against Wake Forest and Duke. With those, she set a UNC freshman record by averaging 1.44 blocks per set on the season. Her 124 total block assists also broke Lindsay Smith's 1995 freshman record of 118.
But Esterley's season didn't just rank among the best by any freshman in program history. It was among the best by any player, as she finished fifth overall in single-season blocks per set and ninth in total block assists.
With multiple young players coming back and some key contributors returning from injury, Esterley will play a large role in helping the team return to its perch atop the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Jones provides a jolt off the bench
A preseason injury forced Jocelyn Jones to redshirt last season. But as a redshirt freshman, she's quickly established herself as a key bench player for the women's basketball team.
Jones scored a career-high 14 points for the second time in five games on Wednesday, helping UNC to an 86-60 victory over UNCW inside Carmichael Arena. Her performance came in just 21 minutes of playing time.
Despite coming off the bench, Jones ranks fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 10.8 points. She also averages a team-best 7.4 rebounds.
Men's soccer returns to the Elite 8
For the eighth time in the last 10 seasons, the men's soccer team advanced to the NCAA Championship quarterfinals with Saturday's 2-0 win over SMU. In the victory, Cam Lindley notched his 12th assist of the season, the most by any Tar Heel under Carlos Somoano.
UNC will now face Fordham in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship at 6 p.m. Saturday at Cary's WakeMed Soccer Park.
Macri makes impressive debut
In his first match last season, Dalton Macri, then at Cornell, sustained an injury that ultimately sidelined him for the remainder of the year. He transferred to UNC during the offseason. And on Sunday at Carmichael Arena, he returned to the mat and made his Tar Heel debut.
Macri, No. 10 nationally in InterMat's 125-pound rankings, recorded two early takedowns against Appalachian State's De'Andre Swinson-Barr. Leading 7-2 after two periods, Macri added two more takedowns and 4:45 of riding time for a 12-3 major decision.
Macri's major accounted for one of three by UNC in its 30-6 victory over Appalachian State.
Players Mentioned
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