University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Volleyball Prepares for Final ACC Road Trip
November 19, 2014 | Volleyball
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The No. 7 North Carolina volleyball team will hit the road for the final time in the regular season, heading north to face Notre Dame on Friday and the Louisville on Sunday.
In its last two matches, Carolina pulled off a historic weekend by sweeping NC State 3-0 last Thursday and then defeating No. 3 FSU 3-1 on Friday. Leigh Andrew led UNC with eight kills against the Wolfpack, while Paige Neuenfeldt added 10 blocks. Neuenfeldt added nine kills against the Seminoles as UNC earned its highest-ranked win in program history.
After the 2-0 weekend, the Tar Heels jumped one spot to No. 7 in the AVCA Coaches Poll, bumped up to No. 5 in the NCAA RPI, and moved into first place in the ACC for the first time this season with a 13-1 conference record.
PREVIEWING THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Notre Dame comes into the last two weeks of ACC play with a 3-12 conference record after dropping two matches against Wake Forest and Duke. The Irish lost a close five-set match at Wake Forest, falling 15-11 in the fifth set after holding a 2-1 game advantage earlier in the match. Freshman Sam Fry recorded a season-high 18 kills and hit .593, while Jeni Houser posted 16 kills against WFU.
The Irish have played seven five-set matches so far this season, including a 3-2 upset against Louisville on Nov. 9. Fry had 11 kills in the win over the Cardinals, while Nicole Smith posted 18 kills and three blocks.
For the season, do-everything outside hitter Houser paces Notre Dame with 2.62 kills/set and 1.22 digs/set, while Fry adds 2.21 kills/set and 1.07 blocks/set. Maddie Dilfer has seized the setting duties in the past few matches and posted over 30 assists against in the Irish's last three matches.
UNC moved to 3-5 all-time against Notre Dame after sweeping the Irish 3-0 last season in Carmichael Arena. The Tar Heels will take on the Irish this Friday at 8 p.m. in Purcell Pavilion. Live stats and live video will be available through WatchND.tv.
PREVIEWING THE LOUISVILLE CARDINAL
After transitioning from the Big East Conference, the Louisville Cardinals are making their impact felt in the ACC. Louisville, picked preseason No. 5 in the ACC, currently sits at No. 7 and just a few games behind Virginia and Pittsburgh in the conference standings. The Cardinals have posted some excellent wins on the year, taking down Minnesota on Aug. 30 and Virginia Tech on Oct. 3.
Louisville is a potent offensive team, posting a .255 hitting percentage on the season thanks to excellent play from setter Katie George. George posts 10.22 assists/set for Louisville, which is good for No. 4 in the ACC.
George delivers the ball early and often to Janelle Jenkins and Maya McClendon, a fearsome duo on the outside who each post 3.09 kills/set. McClendon adds 2.59 digs/set for Louisville, while Jenkins provides .78 blocks/set. In addition the Cardinals get strong middle play from freshman Maggie DeJong, who is knocking down 1.61 kills/set on a stellar .339 hitting percentage.
UNC is 4-3 all-time against Louisville, having last faced the Cardinal on Sept. 15, 2000. Casey Simpson posted 18 kills and led the Tar Heels to a 3-0 sweep in Carmichael Arena.
This Sunday's match is slated for a 12 p.m. start in Cardinal Arena. Live video will be broadcast through ESPN3 and GoCards.com will provide a Gametracker feed.
