North Carolina
Florida State
No. 12 Tar Heels Clinch ACC Regular Season Title
November 16, 2002 | Volleyball
Nov. 16, 2002
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - No. 12 North Carolina clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season title and the top seed at the ACC Tournament next week for the first time since 1998 with a 3-0 sweep of Florida State. The Tar Heels (27-2, 14-1) won 30-22, 30-22, 30-21 against the team that has handed them their only conference loss of the season.
Five of North Carolina's six starters hit .300 or higher as the home team out-hit the Seminoles .339 to .080. The team has won 14 consecutive home matches and has a 6-0 record since falling to Florida State (18-11, 9-6) 2-3 on Oct. 27.
Senior outside hitter Laura Greene led the way for Carolina with 17 kills and eight digs while hitting .351. Sophomore outside hitter Molly Pyles recorded 12 kills and hitting .346. Senior setter Eve Rackham had a team-high 10 digs to go along with 43 assists. In the middle for the Tar Heels, senior Holly Strauss hit .500 with 12 kills and just one error.
The Tar Heels came out swinging in the first game, hitting .410 with just two errors in 39 attempts. A block by Greene and junior middle hitter Aletha Green set the pace on the first point. Carolina built a bigger lead three and four points at a time, with the biggest margin at 11 points on a Greene service ace. A solo block by Rackham sealed the match and the 30-22 win.
Carolina's attack cooled off in the second game, but the defense stepped up limiting the Seminoles to nine kills and a -.135 hitting percentage. Greene stayed red-hot, however, with seven kills while hitting .429. After Florida State tied the score 8-8, Carolina went on a 14-6 run that included five kills by Greene and four attacking errors on the opponents. A Strauss kill clinched the game 30-22.
A 6-0 run by Florida State opened the third game, with the Seminoles eventually leading 9-3. Carolina battled back with a 6-1 run fueled by three kills by Pyles. After the team's battled back and forth to a 17-17 tie, a service error and a setting error by Florida State started a 10-1 Carolina run that included five kills, an ace and a block by the home team. A pair of kills by Strauss were the 29th and 30th points as Carolina closed out the match with a 30-21 win.
Tomorrow night the Tar Heels are in action again, hosting Maryland at 4 p.m. It is Senior Day, with the team honoring Greene, Rackham, Strauss and outside hitter Malaika Underwood prior to the match.
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