University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Maryland
No. 5 Carolina Falls in ACC Final
November 21, 2004 | Volleyball
Nov. 21, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The University of North Carolina volleyball team saw its pursuit of the Atlantic Coast Conference fall short Sunday afternoon, as the fifth-seeded Tar Heels lost to the defending champion and seventh-seeded Maryland Terrapins, 30-24, 30-24, 30-17, at Virginia's Memorial Gymnasium. Carolina was led by all-tournament team selection Molly Pyles, who finished with a match-high 17 kills. Sophomore Amy Beaver was also named to the all-tournament squad. Maryland was led by tournament MVP Sarah Treadwell's 14 kills and Stephanie Smith's nine blocks.
The Tar Heels fell behind for the first time in the tournament by dropping game one, 30-24. Maryland used outstanding blocking to limit the Carolina offense, holding the Tar Heels to a .075 hitting percentage in the frame. The lone bright spot was Pyles, who had seven kills and only one error. The Terps outblocked UNC 7-1, with four coming from middle blocker Rachel Wagener. Wagener also had five kills, as Maryland hit .326 in game one.
UNC was victimized by both the Maryland block and its own errant hitting in game two, as the Terrapins rolled to a 30-24 win and 2-0 lead in the match. Through two games, the Tar Heels had committed 21 attack errors to only seven for UM, while the Terps had outblocked Carolina 11-1.
Maryland was dominant in game three, winning 30-17 to sweep the match and complete an improbable run to the ACC crown. The seventh-seeded Terrapins were forced to win four matches in four days, and rallied from down 2-0 in Saturday night's semifinal win over Duke. The story in game three was the same as it had been all afternoon. Maryland used superior offense and blocking to neutralize the UNC attack. A Carolina squad that had at least 10 team blocks in each of the first two matches of the tournament finished the final with only three.
The Tar Heels will now prepare for their final match of the season, a non-conference tilt with border rival South Carolina. That match is set for 12 noon next Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
