University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
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Western Michigan
UNC Opens Hampton Inn/Kaepa Temple Classic With Victory
September 3, 2004 | Volleyball
Sept. 3, 2004
The University of North Carolina volleyball team opened play in the Hampton Inn/Kaepa Temple Classic Friday afternoon with a three-game victory over Western Michigan, 30-28, 30-26, 30-19. Senior Molly Pyles led the Tar Heels with her first double-double of the season, recording 17 kills and 11 digs and hitting .481 for the match. Pyles now stands only 12 kills away from 1000 for her career. Sophomore Amy Beaver also had a standout performance, registering 10 kills on 16 swings for a career-high hitting percentage of .625. Game one was nip and tuck throughout, with the score being tied on 12 different occasions before UNC triumphed 30-28. Game two was a similar situation, with the two squads trading the lead until the score was tied at 21. Carolina then rattled off five straight points, only to see Western Michigan rally to knot the game at 26. The Tar Heels were not to be denied, however, and scored four in a row to take the game 30-26. After a pair of evenly played games, UNC was dominant after the break. The Tar Heels hit a season-best .556 in game three and cruised to a 30-19 win to secure the match. Carolina committed only one error in the game, tallying 16 kills on 27 attempts. In addition to Pyles and Beaver, senior Katie Wright also hit better than .300 for the match (.364), while notching 11 kills. McKenzie Byrd handled the setting duties for Carolina and finished the match with 40 assists. Kristy Ramsey led the Broncos with 12 kills, while Tinesha Tierney added nine. UNC will be back in action on Saturday with a pair of matches, as they take on Ohio State at 9:30 a.m. and tournament host Temple at 6 p.m.
