North Carolina
Tennessee
Tar Heels Drop A Pair To Close Weekend
September 3, 2006 | Volleyball
Sept. 3, 2006
LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- North Carolina improved its play throughout the day but dropped a pair of matches Saturday in the LMU/USC Hilton LAX at Loyola Marymount's Gersten Pavilion. The Tar Heels (1-5) fell to No. 11 Tennessee (5-0) in the afternoon match, 30-25, 30-24, 30-23, and succumbed to the host Lions, 26-30, 30-24, 30-27, 30-28, in the nightcap. Bekah Brinkley had a team-high 13 kills against the Lady Volunteers, while Noelle Dyk had a career-high 17 kills against LMU. Stephanie Jansma also established a career-high with 21 digs to go along with 47 assists against the Lions.
Carolina won its first game since the opening match of the season to open the contest with Loyola Marymount (4-2). Dyk, who committed just three errors in the match, was perfect in game one, putting down six kills on 10 errorless swings. UNC took control with an 8-2 run that turned a 9-9 tie into a 17-11 Tar Heel advantage. LMU would get as close as two at 27-25, but a Christine Vaughen block and a Dyk kill gave Carolina game point. An attack error by the Lions ended it, giving UNC a 30-26 win.
Loyola Marymount evened the match with a 30-24 win in game two. The Lions, who outhit the Tar Heels .261 to .143, broke open the game with an 8-1 run midway through the frame. Back-to-back solo blocks by Amy Beaver and an LMU ball-handling error pulled Carolina to within four at 25-21, but the Tar Heels would get no closer.
After an extended delay due to a power surge in the arena, LMU sprinted out to a 9-1 lead. Carolina would respond with an 8-1 run of its own, finally tying the score at 16 on a Lion error. Brinkley kills gave the Tar Heels two quick side outs, and UNC took its first lead at 19-18. After trading points, LMU pulled ahead 26-24, forcing head coach Joe Sagula to call a timeout. It appeared that Carolina would get a quick side out on a Dyk blast, but the Lions used several acrobatic saves to extend, and eventually win, the point. Beaver got two more blocks in the waning moments, but a net violation ended the rally and the game, 30-27.
Carolina spent most of game four playing catch-up, as LMU built a 16-10 lead and maintained the advantage until an attack error tied it at 23. A Brinkley killed tied it again at 25, but the Lions responded with three straight points to move to 28-25. Dyk offered a kill and a block to pull Carolina within one at 29-28, but Heather Hughes put a ball down to end it.
Saturday's opener was UNC's second straight match against a nationally-ranked opponent. No. 11 Tennessee, a Final Four team a year ago, swept the Tar Heels, 30-25, 30-24, 30-23. One bright spot for Carolina was the play of Vaughen, who was making her Tar Heel debut just down the road from her Simi Valley home. The freshman finished the match with five kills on six swings and a service ace.
Carolina was plagued by service errors against the Lady Vols, siding themselves out on 13 occasions. The Tar Heels' best chance at taking a game was in the opening frame. The lead changed hands four times in the early going and the score was tied on seven occasions. The final tie came at 12-all, before UT opened up a five-point lead. Carolina would pull within four on several occasions, but got no closer.
Next up for the Tar Heels is the annual UNC Volleyball Classic. Carolina will welcome Illinois, Wichita State and the College of Charleston to Carmichael Auditorium.
