Tar Heels Fall Short Against Duke

Friday, November 2

Chapel Hill, N.C.

6:30 PM

North Carolina

5-17, 1-11ACC

Duke

14-8, 8-5ACC

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Duke	25	25	26	3
North Carolina	23	23	24	0

Katharine EsterleyUniversity of North Carolina Volleyball v DukeCarmichael ArenaChapel Hill, NCFriday, November 2, 2018

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

November 2, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL – With each set decided by the minimum, two points, Carolina narrowly dropped a three-set match to Duke on Friday night at Carmichael Arena. The Tobacco Road rivals battled through 26 tie scores with neither team taking more than a five-point lead. However, the Blue Devils (14-8, 8-5 ACC) came out on top over North Carolina (5-17, 1-11 ACC), 3-0 in the weekend opener.

Aristea Tontai and Katharine Esterley both hit .566 to pace UNC's offense with six and five kills each while Skylar Wine tacked on nine. Casey Jacobs led all passers with a match-best 12 digs while Mia Fradenburg logged her fourth consecutive double-digit dig match while recording a career-best, three aces. The Blue Devils balanced their attack between Leah Meyer, Ade Owokoniran and Payton Schwantz each with double-figure kills with Meyer hitting a team-best .450 en route to Duke's fifth consecutive win this season.

Wine swatted the first kill of the match and a block by the junior and Ava Bell gave UNC an early 3-1 edge over the Blue Devils. North Carolina and Duke traded points early until the Blue Devils took a 14-12 to force a UNC timeout. An ace by Fradenburg brought the Tar Heels within one, 17-18, before a Duke miscue knotted the match at 20-20. UNC fought off set-point with Wine's second kill. However, the Blue Devils' Owokoniran closed out the frame for the 25-23 decision.

Mirroring the first set, neither team took more than a two-point lead. Jacobs swatted Carolina's second ace to bring the Tar Heels within two at the 13-15 mark. Esterley and Bell slugged kills late in the frame to keep UNC within striking distance. Destiny Cox tallied a trio of kills late in set two before a solo block from Esterley and Jacobs' second ace cut Duke's lead to two. Another Wine kill fought off the Blue Devils' set point, but they fought back for the 25-23 decision.

The battle continued into the third set as a kill from Wine knotted the frame up at 5-5. Fradenburg slugged a pair of aces for the 11-9 UNC lead. A 7-1 Carolina run gave the tar Heels a 14-10 edge. However, the Blue Devils responded with a run of their own to knot the frame at 17-17. The rivals battled through seven tie scores late in the match as North Carolina picked up a crucial block from Cox and Esterley coming out of the timeout to even up the score at 23-all. However, Schwantz sealed the 26-24 decisions with her 12th kill.

Carolina returns to action Sunday vs. Wake Forest at 1 p.m. in Carmichael Arena.

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