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University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Florida State
Tar Heels Battle Back For Win At Florida State
October 18, 2008 | Volleyball
Oct. 17, 2008
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The North Carolina volleyball team accomplished something it had not done since 2000 when the Tar Heels battled back from a 2-1 deficit to claim a 3-2 win at Tully Gym in Tallahassee, Fla. Friday night. Lauren Prussing led the attack once again with a team-high 15 kills on a .283 hitting percentage as the Tar Heels improved to 11-8 overall and 53 in ACC play, while Florida State falls to 11-7 overall and 3-5 in conference action.
The Tar Heels took the opening set thanks in large part to a hitting percentage of .355 as Carolina racked up 13 kills with just two errors in the 25-21 win. The outside duo of Suzanne Haydel and Lauren Prussing continued their stellar play as each posted four kills with hitting percentages above .400. Carolina took the early lead before Florida State battled back to even things up at 13-13. A 5-1 run by the Tar Heels that featured a pair of Seminole errors and a service ace from Brianna Eskola put Carolina in front to stay at 18-14. The Tar Heels would extend their lead to as many as seven (23-17) before closing out the set at 25-21.
The Seminoles battled back and evened the match at 1-1 with a 25-18 set two win as the Tar Heels hit a match-low .022 with nine kills and eight errors. Carolina took a very early 2-1 lead but it would be their last of the next two sets as Florida State gained control of the momentum in the match. The Seminoles would go on to capture the third set, 25-21, on the back of a .300 hitting percentage their highest of the night. The Tar Heels got a boost in the latter half of the third set when senior setter Stephanie Jansma entered the match for the first time and pulled Carolina back within one (17-18) late in the set before Florida State closed out the set to take a 2-1 lead.
Carolina continued its knack for making a late push into the fourth set as the Seminoles claimed an early 8-4 advantage before the Tar Heels evened things up at 12-12. Carolina would go on a 4-1 run from that point thanks to a kill from Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland and Suzanne Haydel along with a pair of attack errors by the Seminoles. Florida State would not go quietly however, as it would answer Carolina's run with one of their own. The Seminoles rattled off five consecutive points to regain the lead at 18-16 and appear to be seven points away from sealing the match. Following a UNC timeout, the Tar Heels picked up a kill from Heather Brooks to close the deficit to one before Florida State tallied the next two points to take a 20-17 lead.
rooks joined with Courtney Johnston on a block to make the score 20-18 before Johnston picked up a kill to cut the lead to just one and forcing a Seminole timeout. The break worked perfectly as the Tar Heels hit into a service error which apparently sparked the Tar Heels and Lauren Prussing. The senior outside hitter picked up back-to-back kills to give Carolina a 21-20 lead before Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland turned away two consecutive Florida State attacks to take the sails out of Tully Gym. Florida State called its final timeout after the second Hanson-Tuntland block that was assisted by Johnston and came out of the huddle looking to get back in the set. A kill by Lauren Richardson made the score 23-22 before Prussing posted another kill to put Carolina a point away from evening up the match at 2-2. A Seminole kill put the score at 24-23 before Hanson-Tuntland delivered one of her signature kills to close out the set at 25-23 and force a fifth and final set.
The teams would trade the opening six points in the final set before Carolina's late sub at outside hitter, Megan Owens, took over and pushed Carolina to a 6-3 lead as the Carmel, Ind. native finished three consecutive kills. Florida State called a timeout to settle things down and that is just what happened as the Seminoles tied things up at 7-7 and 8-8. Back-to-back Carolina kills the first by Prussing and the second by Johnston gave the Tar Heels a 10-8 lead and seemed to infuse their play. The Seminoles would pick up the next point before Hanson-Tuntland took over again with back-to-back blocks and a kill to give Carolina a 13-9 lead. The teams would trade the final four points as Carolina went on to win the fifth set 15-11 and the match 3-2.
The outsides were crucial for the Tar Heels once again as Prussing reached a team-high 15 kills, while Suzanne Haydel turned in her fourth-straight double-double with 13 kills and 16 digs. The Florida native, Courtney Johnston, turned in 11 kills with Megan Owens chipping in five kills. The setting duo of Erica Behm and Stephanie Jansma combined for 54 assists on the night with Behm tallying 31 and Jansma adding 23 in the late going.
The Tar Heels will look to carry the momentum South on Saturday as they get set to take on Miami at 6 p.m. Saturday night in Miami, Fla.
