Tar Heels Host Wolfpack Friday On Senior Day

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- The University of North Carolina men's swimming and diving team and it's 21st-ranked women's swimming and diving team celebrate Senior Day Friday as the Tar Heels host NC State at 5 p.m. in Koury Natatorium. Admission is free. The following afternoon, the Tar Heels travel to Duke to face the Blue Devils at Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion in Durham, N.C. at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

The Tar Heels return to Chapel Hill after a disappointing defeat at the hands of the Virginia Cavaliers. The Carolina men's side fell 192.5 to 101.5 to the 23rd-ranked Cavalier men. The Tar Heel men are now 3-4 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. The eighth-ranked Cavalier women defeated the 21st-ranked Tar Heels by a score of 196-104, dropping the Tar Heels to 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

"We had to lick our wounds and come home and regroup and that is what we have done," said UNC head coach Rich DeSelm.

The Tar Heels are excited to celebrate the contributions of their seniors to the program. Prior to the start of the NC State meet, Senior Day recognition will begin at 4:30 p.m.

"Seniors are crucial to a team's success," praises DeSelm. "They understand the goals of this university, the goals of the program, the athletic department philosophy. They understand the coaching staff's goals as well and they have been leaders.

"It's bittersweet to be losing them but we would like to honor this class, which like every class, has contributed in many different ways in the pool and on the boards."

The Tar Heels have their work cut out when NC State comes to Koury Natatorium on Friday.
The sixth-ranked Wolfpack men's team is 2-0 in the ACC this season and 5-0 overall. The 15th-ranked Wolfpack women are 1-1 this season facing ACC opponents and 3-4 overall.

NC State is coming off an ACC road meet, facing the University of Virginia in Charlottesville a week ago. The Wolfpack men beat the 23rd-ranked Cavaliers 193-100, while the women fell 178-117 to the eighth-ranked Cavaliers.

"They [N.C. State] are a Top 10 program. Their men could be poised to challenge for winning an NCAA title," shared DeSelm. "They're extremely good. We know that. We respect that."

On Saturday, the Tar Heels travel to Durham as they face the Duke Blue Devils. Duke's men side are 0-4 in the ACC, 0-6 overall, while the female Blue Devils are 1-3 in conference this season, 3-3 overall.

The Blue Devils are coming off a trip to Charlotte where they faced Queens University of Charlotte. Duke's men's side lost a tight meet 139-123. The women won 158-103.

"We just have to contain our energy to what we have control over and have a lot of fun as a team and have a lot of fun swimming fast and diving well," states DeSelm as Carolina approaches the two meets this weekend.

"We are definitely fired up going in," says diving coach Abel Sanchez. "We definitely do not like to be beaten. My men don't like to lose. My women don't like to lose. They're tough, they're good. This is going to be a great matchup and a great meet between us."

Live stats for this week's meet against N.C. State will be made available through GoHeels.com shortly before the start of the meet. Follow @uncswimdive on Twitter for live stats and updates throughout the season. A live broadcast of UNC-NC State will also be made available through GoHeels.com on ACC Network Extra.

The Tar Heels men's and women's swimming and diving team return to the pool next weekend, February 2-4, as they host the Janis Hape Dowd Nike Invitational at Koury Natatorium. The Friday and Sunday sessions will be held in Chapel Hill and the Saturday session in Durham.

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