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University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Winthrop
Carolina Handles Winthrop, 3-1
September 19, 2008 | Volleyball
Sept. 19, 2008
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The North Carolina volleyball team improved to 5-4 on the season Friday night in Minneapolis, Minn. as the Tar Heels beat Winthrop 3-1 (25-20, 25-15, 17-25, 25-21) in the opening match of the Gopher Invitational. The trio of Courtney Johnston, Heather Brooks and Lauren Prussing combined for 31 kills on the night. Carolina will take on TCU at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday before closing out the tournament at 7 p.m. CT against Minnesota.
The Tar Heels and Eagles traded points in the beginning of the match as neither team was able to gain momentum. A setting error on Carolina made the score 7-5 in favor of Winthrop before senior Stephanie Jansma picked up a kill later in the set to tie the opening set up at 9-9. From that point the Tar Heels would slowly take over the set as Christine Vaughen forced Winthrop into a timeout with the score at 16-13 after a kill. Carolina would then take three of the next five points to gain a 19-15 advantage and force the second Winthrop timeout of the set.
The Eagles would answer coming out of the break with four consecutive points to even the opening frame at 19-19 as the Tar Heels called their first timeout. Whatever head coach Joe Sagula said to his squad must have worked because Carolina would go on to score six of the next seven points to claim set one by a 25-20 margin.
Set two would be an easier road to travel for the Tar Heels as they claimed a 25-15 victory. The Carolina defense stepped up in the second match as they converted 81 percent of its sideout opportunities and kept the Eagles in check as Winthrop hit -.050. A Heather Brooks kill at the 13-8 mark led to a Winthrop timeout before the Eagles cut the deficit to three at 14-11. Then the Tar Heels took over outscoring Winthrop 9-2 over the final stretch of the second set. With the win Carolina took a two set to one lead into the intermission.
Carolina would come out of the break a little flat as the Eagles jumped out to an early lead at 11-7. Winthrop would only extend its lead in the set taking a 17-10 advantage before the Tar Heels attempted to make a late comeback. A 5-4 run by Carolina forced Winthrop into a timeout and a block out of the break by Heather Brooks and Courtney Johnston cut the deficit to five (21-16) but a trio of kills and an error by the Tar Heels would put the match at 2-1.
The Tar Heels started set number four with a little more fire as the teams traded points in the opening of the set. Winthrop would jump out to a 10-6 lead over the Tar Heels before Carolina battled back to even the score at 14-14 on a hard-fought point. A service error by Carolina would swing the momentum back in the Eagles' favor and would remain that way until Carolina called timeout with the score at 21-19.
The Tar Heels came out of the timeout with back-to-back kills from Heather Brooks as Carolina tied it up at 21-21. A kill from Prussing and another point from Carolina forced Winthrop into a timeout as time was running out for the Eagles. A block from Courtney Johnston and an impressive kill from Johnston provided the final tally of 25-21 as Carolina took the match 3-1.
Minnesota native, Brianna Eskola, finished the match with a team-high 20 digs from her libero position and fellow senior Stephanie Jansma finished the night with 33 assists.
