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University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Colorado
Carolina Claims 3-1 Win At Colorado
September 13, 2008 | Volleyball
Sept. 13, 2008
BOULDER, Colo. - The North Carolina volleyball team battled its way back to the .500 mark on Saturday as the Tar Heels claimed a 3-1 (25-17, 23-25, 25-21, 27-25) win over Colorado in Boulder, Colo. Colorado native Lauren Prussing stepped up big for the second consecutive match as she led the team with 16 kills and helped propel Carolina to the win. The Tar Heels will wrap up non-conference play next weekend when they travel to Minnesota for the Gopher Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota.
The Tar Heels started off on the right foot for the second consecutive night as they jumped out to a 6-1 lead on the back of a pair of kills from senior Lauren Prussing. Carolina would push that lead to 8-2 before the host Buffaloes called their first timeout. A 4-2 run by Colorado brought the Buffaloes back in the set but following a North Carolina timeout the Heels went on a serious run to pull away. The 7-0 run made the score 17-6 in favor of the Heels thanks in large part to the play of the Carolina front line.
Colorado would chip away at the deficit pulling to within seven (24-17) late in the set as the Tar Heels were forced into a timeout. Christine Vaughen would make sure that the set would not last any longer as she delivered a rally-killing kill to end the opening frame and give Carolina a 25-17 win. The Tar Heels racked up six blocks in the first set and hit .237, while holding the Buffaloes to a mark of .018. Prussing led the charge with three kills, while Heather Brooks turned away four shots on the defensive side.
The second set would be a little different for the Tar Heels as they were held to a hitting percentage of .188 and despite a feverish comeback fell 25-23. The teams would trade points most of the way before Colorado called a timeout leading 21-19. Two more points would go in favor of the Buffaloes before Carolina decided to make it interesting.
An attack error on Colorado and an easy kill for Brooks cut the lead to two, 23-21. A Carolina attack error would put the Buffs a point away from sealing it but a blocking error on Colorado and another Brooks kill gave Carolina a shot. A service error by the Tar Heels would quickly change that momentum and tie the match at 1-1.
The Tar Heels jumped out to another early lead in set three with a 4-0 run to open play but Colorado answered with four of the next five points to tighten things up. A 6-2 run by the Tar Heels would help them extend their lead once again to a margin of 11-6. The teams would trade the next 18 points with Carolina maintaining its five-point advantage at 20-15.
The Buffaloes would battle for the next point and outlast the Tar Heels and follow that with an ace to pull within three (20-17). A service error by Colorado would be the Tar Heels only point of the next four as Colorado made the score 21-20 in favor of Carolina. A 3-0 run for the Tar Heels on the back of great serves from Vaughen would put Carolina a point away from taking a 2-1 lead. Following a CU timeout, the Buffaloes would battle for a point before the Tar Heels closed the door. The Tar Heels converted 61 percent of their sideout opportunities and hit above .200 for the second set of the match.
For the third straight set neither team could gain control in the early going as the teams traded points. Carolina was able to gain a slight edge midway through the set 15-11 before grabbing four of the next six points, two of which came on big kills from Prussing and Brooks. A Colorado timeout was just what the Buffaloes needed as they responded with a 3-0 run forcing Carolina into a timeout with the score at 19-16. Another kill from Prussing ended the run but three straight points from the Buffaloes made it a one-point ballgame. Suzanne Haydel answered with a kill to extend the lead to two (21-19) once again but back-to-back errors by the Tar Heels would tie the set before the Buffs tacked on another to take the lead and force Carolina into a timeout to stop the run.
The Tar Heels went back to a play that worked all night for them as Stephanie Jansma received the pass and set middle hitter Christine Vaughen for a quick kill to tie things up. Carolina would go back to the play on the next serve but Vaughen's attack went long pushing Colorado ahead again. The sophomore Haydel would answer again with another kill to tie it up before Vaughen deposited a free ball for another kill to give Carolina a one-point advantage. Colorado would answer with a kill and a block to pull within a point of forcing a fifth set, but a Buffalo error would tie things back up. In her homecoming, Lauren Prussing would step up to push the Tar Heels to the 27-25 win as she delivered a big kill to put Carolina ahead by one before assisting with Heather Brooks on the block that sealed the 3-1 win.
Prussing led the Tar Heel attack as she finished with 16 kills, while Vaughen finished with 14 of her own and hit .458 with six blocks. The real leader of the block party was Brooks who finished with a team-high nine and a matching nine kills finishing the night with a .500 hitting percentage. Haydel chipped in with eight kills of her own as Stephanie Jansma fell three assists shy of 50 for the night and picked up a double-double with 17 digs. Senior libero Brianna Eskola finished the night with a team-high 23 digs helping to hold Colorado to a .114 hitting percentage.
The Tar Heels will return to action in a week when they travel to Minneapolis, Minn. to take part in the Gopher Invitational at the University of Minnesota. Carolina will take on Winthrop, TCU and the host Gophers.
