Carolina Sweeps Wake Forest for Sagula’s 800th Win

Sunday, November 4

Chapel Hill, N.C.

1 PM

North Carolina

6-17, 2-11ACC

Wake Forest

8-18, 3-11ACC

Wake Forest

North Carolina

November 4, 2018 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina topped Wake Forest in straight sets for head coach Joe Sagula's 800th career win on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels (6-17, 2-12 ACC) swept the Deacons (8-18, 3-11 ACC) for their first win since topping NC State at home on Sept. 26.

"This is a testament to all the people who've played here at Carolina and the coaching staffs who have been a part of this journey and my career with me," Sagula said. "I think about all of them when people congratulate me. I'm thankful to all the alumni who were here today and to this team in particular who made a point in wanting to win today. I'm so appreciative of them and all the players and coaches who share these 800 wins with me. When I look back, I'm happy there were a lot of Tar Heels around and to have been able to get this win at home in Carmichael too."

With the 3-0 victory, Sagula earned his 800th career win and 597th at the helm of the Tar Heels. Prior to Carolina, Sagula earned 203 wins at Penn in nine seasons from 1981 to 1989. In his 38th season and 29th at Carolina, Sagula is the sixth winningest active Division I coach (11th in all divisions) and is the 16th winningest coach of all-time by victories.

Led by nine blocks from Katharine Esterley, the Tar Heels out-blocked Wake Forest, 14.5 to 7.0 – the second-most blocks UNC has recorded this fall. Destiny Cox recorded her 14th double-digit kill match with 13 in addition to a block. Skylar Wine posted eight kills and digs each while Mia Fradenburg grounded the defense with 13 digs. Madison Laufenberg came off the bench to swat seven kills while picking up a pair of digs. Hunter Atherton dished out 25 assists with four kills, four digs and a trio of blocks.

Wake Forest's Caitlyn Della swatted 12 kills on an impressive .611 clip to lead the Deacons. Madeline Hold assisted 30 of Wake Forest's 36 kills while Hailey McFadden collected 15 digs.

Despite Wake Forest's early two-point edge in the first set, Carolina quickly responded with an 8-0 run to lead, 15-9. A trio of kills by Cox lengthened Carolina's run to six before the Demon Deacons used their second timeout. Late in set, Wake Forest came within three to force a UNC timeout. However, a kill and tough serving by Wine positioned the Tar Heels at set point before Cox closed out the set with her seventh kill. The 25-22 set one victory was Carolina's first set win at home since Sept. 26.

Carolina's momentum continued into set two as a block from Esterley and Aristea Tontai and Atherton ace extended the Tar Heels lead to 7-3. The pair connected for a second stuff later in the set to up Carolina's block total to eight midway through the set. Wake Forest fought back to bring the match within one as UNC led, 19-18 late in the frame. However, Carolina responded with a 4-0 run to reach set point before Tontai sealed the 25-20 win. Led by Cox's six kills and three from win, the Tar Heels hit .300 in the frame while limiting Wake Forest to a .038 clip due to five blocks – three of which came from Esterley.

Wake Forest bounced back in set three, taking an early 6-0 lead before UNC called a timeout. Casey Jacobs launched an ace to bring the Tar Heels within four as Wake Forest used its first timeout. Her tough serving continued as Carolina went on a six-point run to close in on the Deacons, 9-10. Entering the match to serve, Annabelle Archer brought UNC within one at the 16-17 mark with a trio of kills by Laufenberg. A kill by Tontai knotted the frame at 19-19. A block by Ava Bell and Tontai followed solo block by Bell gave UNC a 22-20 edge. Bell's fifth kill positioned UNC for match point before Esterley and Atherton clinched the 26-24 win with a block to snap the 10-match skid.

The Tar Heels remain home to face Miami next Sunday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. in Carmichael Arena.

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