University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NC State
Tar Heels To Face ACC's Unbeatens
October 17, 2017 | Volleyball
CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina (9-7, 6-2 ACC) has a great opportunity to move up in the standings this week, taking on NC State (13-6, 8-0) and Pittsburgh (15-4, 8-0), the final two teams to remain undefeated in ACC play this season. UNC hosts NC State on Wednesday then travels to Pittsburgh on Friday. NC State then plays at Pitt on Sunday afternoon.
Carolina is currently tied with Syracuse for fourth place in the ACC standings. Between the Tar Heels and this week's opponents is Louisville, the lone team with one loss. Should UNC win both of its matches this week, the Heels would move into a tie for second place, just one match out of first.
Wednesday, Oct. 18 | 6:30 p.m. | Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Drive
North Carolina (9-7, 6-2) vs. NC State (13-6, 8-0)
Where: Carmichael Arena
Admission: FREE
Watch: ACC Network Extra
Stats: UNCLiveStats.com
Friday, Oct. 20 | 7 p.m.
North Carolina (9-7, 6-2) at Pittsburgh (15-4, 8-0)
Where: Fitzgerald Field House
Admission: $3 online, $5 at the door | Buy Tickets
Watch: ACC Network Extra
Stats: SideArm
Against the Field
North Carolina has faced NC State more times than any other opponent in program history, going a 85-31 all time against the Wolfpack. Duke is the only other team that UNC has even faced 85 times. The Tar Heels have had tremendous success at home, going 37-8 in Chapel Hill. UNC is 52-11 all time against NC State in ACC play. UNC has won 39 of the last 42 matches dating back to 1998, including a 25-match winning streak that spanned more than a decade.
Carolina brought a 10-match winning streak against the Wolfpack into this season, but saw it snapped in the 2017 ACC opener in Raleigh. NC State won the first two sets, but the Tar Heels stormed back to win the third and fourth sets to even the match. NC State took back control in the fifth, opening up a 3-0 lead and extending it to 8-2. Carolina cut the deficit in half, 8-5, but was unable to pull any closer, falling 15-11.
Pittsburgh is one of just two ACC teams to own the all-time series with Carolina, as the Panthers have won nine of 15 meetings. Both teams are 3-1 on their home court, with UNC's sole win in Pittsburgh coming back on Oct. 3, 2014, in five sets. North Carolina is 3-2 against Pitt in ACC play since the Panthers joined the conference in 2013. Pitt handed Carolina its sole ACC loss of the season last year, defeating the Tar Heels, 3-2, on Oct. 30. UNC would go on to finish the year 19-1 in ACC play to win its 13th conference title.
Tar Heels to Host Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief Event on Oct. 18
Just days after the North Carolina volleyball team returned home from the Puerto Rico Clasico in San Juan last month, the island of Puerto Rico was devastated by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. In an effort to help support the people of Puerto Rico, the Tar Heels are teaming up with fellow Clasico participant NC State to host a Hurricane Relief Drive on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Fans of both teams are encouraged to bring useful items such as clothing, first-aid kits, flashlights, batteries, battery-powered fans, battery-powered radios and bug spray to the match. The Tar Heels have been in communication with one of the tournament directors, a member of the Puerto Rico National Team, who will receive the items and personally distribute them to local people in need.
Tar Heels Set NCAA Attendance Record as Part of Late Night With Roy Men's Basketball Event
On Friday, Oct. 13, UNC Volleyball opened the annual Late Night with Roy men's basketball preseason event with a match against Virginia Tech at the Dean E. Smith Center. The event, which culminated in the unveiling of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship banner, was attended by 19,246 fans—the largest recorded crowd ever to witness an NCAA volleyball match.
It was the seventh time that the volleyball team had been a part of the Late Night celebration, dating back to the first-ever Late Night in 2003. With a 3-1 win over the Hokies, the Tar Heels maintained their pristine 7-0 record prior to Late Night.
Carolina's Late Night matches have traditionally brought Tar Heel fans from far and wide, with official attendances of over 10,000 fans for six of the seven matches. On Oct. 17, 2003, a volleyball match between UNC and Duke kicked off the first annual Late Night with Roy celebration. A crowd of 16,126 Carolina fans flooded the stands, setting a new NCAA Volleyball attendance record. The mark stood as the highest-attended regular-season NCAA Volleyball match in history until the 2017 Tar Heels re-set the record. There had been eight volleyball events to top 16,126 since 2003, all of which were NCAA Finals or Semifinals. The highest-attended match in NCAA history was the 2015 NCAA Championship match between Texas and Nebraska, which was played in front of 17,561 fans in Omaha, Nebraska. The 2017 Tar Heels topped that figure by nearly 2,000.
UNC has played a total of 36 volleyball matches at the Smith Center, including the entirety of the 2008 and 2009 home seasons while Carmichael underwent renovations. UNC also played three additional matches at the Smith Center in 2005, defeating Virginia and Virginia Tech in September but falling to the College of Charleston in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Tournament. UNC is now 29-7 all time in the Dean Dome.
| Previous Volleyball Matches Prior to Late Night with Roy | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 17, 2003 | Duke | W, 3-2 | 16,126 |
| Oct. 14, 2005 | Georgia Tech | W, 3-0 | 4,435 |
| Oct. 24, 2008 | Clemson | W, 3-0 | 13,797 |
| Oct. 16, 2009 | Duke | W, 3-1 | 12,724 |
| Oct. 14, 2011 | Virginia | W, 3-0 | 10,195 |
| Oct. 25, 2013 | Maryland | W, 3-2 | 15,945 |
| Oct. 13, 2017 | Virginia Tech | W, 3-1 | 19,246 |
Nordhorn Hitting High
Senior middle hitter Beth Nordhorn has exploded offensively this season, recording double-digit kills in 10 of 15 matches, hitting .400 or higher in eight of those 10. Nordhorn has hit at least .500 with double-digit kills six times, including hitting .667 with 10 kills on 15 errorless swings against Wake Forest and .615 with 10 kills on 13 swings (two errors) against LIU Brooklyn. Nordhorn is averaging 4.6 swings per set and has only made more than three errors in a match twice. The Tar Heel senior leads the ACC and ranks 11th in the nation with a .428 season hitting percentage—the only eligible conference player to hit over .400.
Nordhorn did not see a lot of playing time over her first 2.5 seasons, but after an injury to Sydnye Fields allowed her to start the final 11 matches of 2016, Nordhorn finished her junior year with an ACC-leading .446 season hitting percentage, while leading the conference with a .403 clip during ACC play. The next-best conference player hit .359 on the year, nearly .100 points lower than Nordhorn. She did not meet the minimum playing requirements to be ranked nationally last season, playing in just 60 percent of UNC's sets (req. 66.7%), but her .446 clip beat 2016 NCAA leader Emma Hagedom (UMKC), who finished with a .439 hitting percentage last season.
Block Party
Carolina's blocking unit has returned to form, posting double-digit blocks in the 12 of 16 matches this season. The Tar Heels, who have ranked in the top six in the nation in blocks per set in each of the past three seasons, now average 2.66 blocks per set, which ranks third in the ACC and 28th in the nation.
Carolina has three individuals that are averaging at least one block per set, led by redshirt freshman Katharine Esterley. Esterley ranks fourth in the ACC and 31st in the nation with 1.39 blocks per set. The redshirt freshman has the third-highest blocking average among rookies nationally. Senior Taylor Fricano ranks seventh in the conference and 64th in the NCAA with 1.22 blocks per set, while fellow senior Beth Nordhorn follows with 1.03 per set.
