UNC swimming takes 15th at NCAAs
The third time’s a charm for Rich DeSelm.
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The third time’s a charm for Rich DeSelm.
With two outs in the top of the fifth against UNC-Greensboro, and North Carolina second baseman Tommy Coyle on first, Brian Goodwin stepped up to the plate.The freshman outfielder hit a triple into center field, sending Coyle home for UNC’s first run and ending the Tar Heels’ trend of only getting one hit per inning.“When he hits the ball in the gap, he’s got a chance for a triple anyway because he can really, really run,” UNC coach Mike Fox said. “That was a big hit for us, because I think he had two strikes on him. It just got us off that zero. He’s got a chance to hit a lot of triples in his career.”For the first four innings of the matchup against the Spartans, UNC seemed to be stuck on first base. The Tar Heels had only one hit in each of the first four innings, and all were singles.Second baseman Dillon Hazlett had the first hit of the fifth inning for the Tar Heels but was thrown out at second in a UNC-G double play. Coyle advanced to first from a walk, leading to Goodwin’s triple and the second hit of the inning for UNC.“We were getting some hits, but we couldn’t really put runs on the board,” Goodwin said. “I think scoring that helped us out a little bit.”Goodwin has had four triples this season, more than any other Tar Heel. And with nine extra base hits, Goodwin ties third baseman Levi Michael for the most on the team. But for the Rocky Mount native, it’s something he looks for every time he steps up.“I haven’t had much luck over there on first, so I try to stay off it as much as I can. I just come out of the box, I think, looking for extra bases.”Unfortunately for UNC, Goodwin’s at-bat failed to cause a change in momentum for the Tar Heels during the next two innings.They fell back into their lull in the sixth, when shortstop Ryan Graepel had the only hit of the inning. Hazlett had the single hit of the seventh, but his second of the night.But hits streamed in the eighth for UNC, when catcher Jesse Wierzbicki led off a game-changing inning with a solo home run. Hazlett and Graepel would also register hits during the inning, allowing UNC to come from behind and take a 4-3 lead.North Carolina had no additional hits in the ninth inning, but hung on to beat the Spartans for the second time this season. In the February matchup against UNC-G, the Tar Heels had 16 hits in the 12-2 win. This time was a bit more of a struggle.“We hit the balls hard, we got eleven hits,” Fox said. “The most important thing is we got it done at the end.” Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
The North Carolina men were familiar with being second best in this weekend’s ACC Swimming and Diving Championship — perhaps a little too familiar. UNC finished second in 11 of 18 events as the Tar Heels struggled to keep Virginia off the winner’s podium. The Cavaliers cruised to their 11th conference championship in 12 years with 806 points. North Carolina followed with 656.5.“We were good. We needed to be better to try and catch Virginia,” UNC coach Rich DeSelm said. “You can’t just be good against a team like that.”But for Tommy Wyher, there was a different story behind the number two. The UNC junior was a double ACC champion for the second consecutive year in individual events, taking the crown in the 100-yard backstroke and butterfly. Wyher added a third championship in day one of competition when the Tar Heels finished first in the 200-yard medley relay for the first time in 14 years.In Saturday night’s finals, Wyher proved he wasn’t perfect. He finished second in the 200-yard backstroke, falling to defending champion Andy Hodgson of Florida State. Despite a bump in the road, Wyher broke 13 records in two individual and three relay swims during the championship.“It’s never a given. Everyone else in the pool wants what (Wyher) wants,” DeSelm said. “There’s always someone better than you, and there’s always someone chasing you. And he knows that.”Junior Tyler Harris finished second in three different individual events, and freshman Tom Luchsinger improved from a third seed to become the runner-up in the 200-yard butterfly.“I came in here not knowing what to expect, and to look up at the scoreboard and see second place and a personal best time, it’s an incredible feeling,” Luchsinger said. “I couldn’t describe it.”In Saturday’s opening event, UNC juniors Joe Kinderwater and Chip Peterson made their marks — and took them. Seeded second and third in the 1,650-yard freestyle respectively, Peterson was able to nab his first conference championship. Kinderwater followed in second.“We train together every single day. Chip and I’s goal was to go one-two,” Kinderwater said. “We posted great times that are going to be competitive throughout the nation. It capped off a great meet.”To DeSelm’s dismay, UNC would send only one swimmer to the podium in the rest of Saturday’s events.“We’ve got more (depth) than we had last year. We’ve got some winners and some people getting medals, but to win a championship you have to do more of what teams that do win championships do, have multiple finalists in the top eight.”North Carolina’s 656.5 points is more than the men’s team has scored in an ACC championship in the past 10 years. DeSelm is taking the statistic and looking forward to a brighter future — one that includes a conference title for the Tar Heels.“I think we’ll be better next year,” he said. “We have to be.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Talk is cheap. But if it’s coming from North Carolina swimmer Tommy Wyher, it’s worth its weight in gold — gold medals, that is.
An ear-splitting roar permeated the Koury Natatorium as North Carolina swimmer Laura Moriarty broke away from the field during the final length of the 400-yard individual medley. At the sight of her winning time on the scoreboard, the 5-foot-4 sophomore flung a pointed finger high in the air as her face lit up.And at the same time, a piece of history came tumbling down.On the third day of the women’s ACC Swimming and Diving Championships, Moriarty’s first-place finish in the 400-yard IM broke the 21-year-old pool record set by four-time Olympic gold medalist Janet Evans. Moriarty would help lead UNC to a second-place finish in the championship with 642.5 points. Virginia won the championship for the third year in a row with 877.5. Florida State rounded out the top three with 545.“She is a phenomenal competitor, and she’s got a great attitude,” coach Rich DeSelm said. “She loves to race, and she’s really good at it. She executed things perfectly.”In addition to her record-breaking win, Moriarty also won the 100-yard breaststroke and shared first place in the 200-yard breaststroke after the event ended in a dead heat. For the second time in one weekend, she was able to come up from behind and score a win.“I was just thinking, last event in the ‘Heels’ House,’” Moriarty said. “You can’t lose that.”UNC freshmen Carly Smith and Katie Nolan proved that experience wasn’t necessary for success. Smith took second place and racked up two NCAA automatic cuts in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke events, falling both times to Virginia’s Mei Christensen.Nolan took second place in the 100-yard butterfly, and both Nolan and Smith were members of the second-place 400-yard medley relay.UVa. won 14 of 18 events and all five relays over the weekend, leaving little room for Tar Heel victories. But despite a commanding effort, DeSelm was disappointed in several aspects of UNC performances.“We need to keep building on our team purpose and our dedication and devotion to improving the little things that make a difference at a level like this,” DeSelm said. “That’s our job as coaches to guide them. We’re supposed to teach them, we just need to do a better job.”Though North Carolina came up short, the attitude of UNC swimmers at the conclusion of the meet wasn’t as somber as might be expected — especially for one swimmer in particular.“It’s a great day (to be a Tar Heel),” Moriarty said. “Every day is.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Starting this season where it left off, the No. 4 North Carolina women’s lacrosse team experienced yet another high-scoring game.Except this time, the Tar Heels didn’t go home disappointed.They ended last season with a 21-7 NCAA championship loss, where the team gave up the most points in a single game in the history of the program.
From the highest rafter in the back of the Koury Natatorium hangs a long white banner. The sign, filled with minuscule light- blue print, seems easily overlooked.But for one man, it doesn’t go unnoticed.“There was some great success in the past and I’m wishing for some of those successes to be part of what we do this year,” North Carolina swimming and diving coach Rich DeSelm said. “We haven’t won very many ACC titles and there’s a whole lot of titles mentioned on those banners up there.”With only the ACC and NCAA championships left on the schedule, both teams are diving head-first into the final races of the season. During ACC Championship swims in mid-February, in addition to the team effort, the Tar Heels will focus on reaching NCAA qualifying times. Last year North Carolina sent nine women and five men to the NCAA Championship. UNC will be able to bring a total of 18 men and 18 women to the conference swimming and diving championships held in Chapel Hill. Swimmers account for a whole person, while divers account for a half.It’s been over a decade since the men won their last title while the women are looking forward to redeeming their 2007 ACC Championship win.“It would be huge,” sophomore Laura Moriarty said. “It would show so many people that we are a top school and we can compete with anyone in the country.”Moriarty, first on North Carolina’s depth chart in four different events, is likely to make a splash in the ACC Championship meet. Along with Moriarty, junior Katura Harvey and freshman Carly Smith are key swimmers for this year’s squad.Last year during her rookie season, Moriarty finished second in the conference in the 200-yard breaststroke.Junior Tommy Wyher will look to continue his streak in both the 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard butterfly in this year’s conference meet. Last year, he took first place in both events, setting two ACC records, two UNC records and achieving career bests in each.An ACC Championship win in the 100-yard backstroke this season would be his third straight triumph.“He showed what he could do last year and he’s trained even better now,” DeSelm said. “He’s defending champion and he’s a great racer. He hates to lose, so he’s a guy you want on your side.”Fellow juniors Chip Peterson and Tyler Harris will be in the hunt for an individual title as well. Peterson holds the school record in the 500-meter butterfly.Although both teams lost to Virginia in January, UNC swimmers are looking forward to hosting the championship meet. They will be matched against the Cavaliers — UNC’s only ACC loss — and will have the chance to add a 2010 title to the record books.The Tar Heels will be the underdogs, but don’t count them out. DeSelm certainly isn’t.“Can they do it? It’d have to be a real special weekend,” DeSelm said. “But that’s the great thing about athletics, nobody hands anybody anything. Anybody that thinks the outcome is set is making a huge mistake.”
In the final session of this weekend’s inaugural Triangle College Cup, someone kept coming up short.And to the delight of North Carolina swimming and diving coach Rich DeSelm, it wasn’t UNC swimmers.On the last night of the two-day meet, the competition was delayed after the Koury Natatorium staff realized the pool wasn’t quite 25 yards long. The movable wall which keeps the pool at regulation length floated out of place, leaving the pool several inches too short. “I appreciate the support of the administration and facility folks,” DeSelm said. “We had a little blip with the bulkhead tonight, but we got that fixed within 15 minutes.” Every year the NCAA allows teams to create “last chance meets,” in which swimmers who don’t travel to conference championships can get a final chance to qualify for the NCAA Championship. Over the past few years for UNC, these meets have been lackluster.This inspired DeSelm to make a change. With the help of the coaching and Koury Natatorium staff, the Triangle College Cup was created. It was originally planned to take place just among UNC, N.C. State and Duke, but the invitation was later extended to other ACC schools. Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech were later added to the lineup.“(It was) just a much more inspiring, team-oriented environment,” DeSelm said. “We all know when a crowd gets behind someone, an athlete in this case, great things can happen that might not happen just by yourself.”And for the Tar Heels, great things certainly did take place.With a time of 2:00.27 in the 200 individual medley, sophomore Marie Pesacreta improved her personal best by more than a second, earning a consideration time for the NCAA Championships, and breaking a 21-year-old pool record.“It was pretty cool, considering how old it is,” Pesacreta said. “The fact that we’ve had pretty recent ACCs here means it’s a pretty long-standing record. It’s a good feeling.”Five other UNC swimmers also achieved NCAA consideration cuts. Sophomore Sean Lane led the Tar Heels in earned cuts for the weekend, with consideration times in the 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle.Time will tell whether results from the Cup will earn the Tar Heels any more coveted NCAA meet spots. But with seven possible qualifying times achieved by UNC and many more from rival schools, DeSelm said that the inaugural meet established its intended purpose.“I thought it was a great experience for everyone that came — our team, and all the other teams,” he said. “It was all about trying to put your hard work into results.” The Triangle College Cup followed Friday night’s matchup against N.C. State, the final dual meet of the season. Both Tar Heel teams defeated the Wolfpack and finished 6-1 in the ACC.For many North Carolina swimmers, the next stop will be ACC Championships. They still have a couple of weeks before the UNC-hosted event, but DeSelm is confident that his teams are ready.“They’ve trained so hard, so consistently, so long,” he said. “It’s what every swimmer on every team in the country looks forward to, which is the end of the season and a chance to do something for their school, for their teammates and for themselves.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
It was a day of numbers for the No. 14 North Carolina men’s swim team.Against No. 8 Virginia, UNC swimmers racked up 23 season best times, nabbed four NCAA consideration cuts and as a team shaved more than 27 seconds off of 2009-10 season bests.But a particular digit stood out after Saturday’s rivalry meet — the one in the loss column.“We can’t afford to make the choice of having (the loss) be a setback,” coach Rich DeSelm said. “It can be a disappointment, but we’ve got to learn from it and use it to find how we can be better.”The UNC men’s team went into Saturday’s matchup a perfect 8-0 (4-0 in the ACC). Though the Tar Heels only won five of 16 events, the Cavaliers were not able to run away with it. Depth allowed UNC to secure second and third place in five events, and the Tar Heels delivered the one-two punch twice.Tommy Wyher led UNC with a pair of wins in the 100-yard butterfly and 100-yard backstroke. Freshman Tom Luchsinger followed suit, finishing first in the 200-yard butterfly, cutting 1.05 seconds off his career best.“I looked up at the scoreboard and to see your personal best is always an awesome feeling,” Luchsinger said. “Not only to have that, but then to have my teammates behind me yelling and screaming, it was just icing on the cake.”Luchsinger was not the only freshman to make waves. In her second-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke, Carly Smith achieved a career best of 53.51, breaking both the 10-year-old pool and school records. Smith swam season bests in all four of her events, more than any other Tar Heel in the meet.“They’re our biggest competition, and so I just had that in the back of my mind,” Smith said. “I knew today was the day and it was time to lay it down on the line.”Despite Smith’s standout performance, the No. 15 North Carolina women’s team fell to No. 11 Virginia. Laura Moriarty had one of the women’s five event wins in the 200-yard breaststroke, winning by more than a second and qualifying for a NCAA consideration. Moriarty also took second place in the 200-yard butterfly, earning her second consideration cut of the day.The Tar Heels will take on Virginia again in late February at the ACC Championships. And UNC’s swimmers are looking forward to a rematch.“(The loss will) definitely serve as motivation,” Luchsinger said. “We are a bunch of guys that hate to lose.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Radford (1-6) recovered from a five minute drought by sinking five straight shots from behind the arc to take a 17-16 lead halfway through the first period.
When Charleston Southern took on No. 4 North Carolina, the Tar Heels ended the day with a 76-67 victory. But CSU didn’t leave the Smith Center empty handed.They walked away with a new record.The first score for the Buccaneers was a three-point basket from forward Kelsey Wasmer. And little did UNC know, there would be much more where that came from.Charleston Southern sank 17 of 48 three-point shots, a record number of both made and attempted for any North Carolina opponent in program history.For Charleston Southern, the abundance of three-pointers wasn’t just a fluke. It has consistently been the team’s No. 1 weapon.“There were probably five ill-advised threes that we took,” CSU coach Julie Goodenough said. “But other than that, I would have given them the green light to take the ones that they did. That is a big part of our game. I think we have some excellent three-point shooters, and that’s obviously what we’re looking for.”Prior to Sunday’s matchup, the Buccaneers averaged 10.2 three-pointers per game so far this season. Against the Tar Heels, they realized this statistic was their opportunity to stay in the game, so they ran with it. Charleston Southern started the game with five consecutive threes until Wasmer struck again with the team’s first two-point shot after almost eight minutes of play. Wasmer finished the game 5-11 from the three-point line, and teammate Katie Tull went 6-16.“They have some kids that can shoot the ball, and that makes a big difference,” North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell said. “We did make some adjustments defensively, and that helped. From the three they shot 35 (percent), so that’s their game.”Long rebounds after missed three-point shots from the Buccaneers also plagued UNC. Charleston Southern outrebounded the Tar Heels offensively 24-17 and trailed by only three in total rebounds.“The biggest thing for us was the rebounding,” Hatchell said. “We’ve got to do a better job there. A game like this is probably good for us, and it’s going to give them some confidence, because they’re a very good team.”CSU’s percentage from behind the arc (35.4) was higher than their overall field goal percentage (29.6). In contrast, North Carolina was 0-4 from behind the line in the first half and ended the game with 10 percent three-point accuracy.“I was just hoping that our players would come in with courage and confidence and just give their very best effort,” Goodenough said. “Obviously, in a situation like this we’re the underdog and we don’t have anything to lose, and there’s no reason to go out and not play your very best.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
When the North Carolina swim team dove into the pool on the first day of practice in September, for many it was a familiar routine.
Victories have been abundant for the North Carolina men’s and women’s swim teams this season, but for the last six meets, something’s been missing.On Sept. 20, swimmers Hank Browning, Alison Clemens and Rebecca Kane were cited for alcohol violations. As a result, they were suspended from competition until Nov. 1.Tommy Wyher also received a suspension for similar reasons, but it was unrelated to the other three suspensions.In Friday’s meet, Browning, Kane and Wyher were able to participate in their first NCAA meet of the season, scoring a combined 54 points to help carry the Tar Heels to victories against the Terrapins.The men’s team won 171-98, and the women won 166-117.“It gets us closer to being a whole, instead of a part,” head coach Rich DeSelm said about their return. “Any team, any business that suffers hardship, if you can regroup and get all your team members back on the same page and all participating, it’s good for morale, it’s good for momentum. Clearly these people are talented.”In her first meet of the season, Kane led the women’s team with wins in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100-yard freestyle and the 400-yard freestyle relay.Kane has the second fastest women’s 50-yard freestyle time in school history with a 22.41-second time. Against Maryland, she clocked in just short of her personal best, nabbing an NCAA consideration cut with a time of 23.00 seconds.“It was a long month of not being able to compete,” Kane said. “I was so excited to come back and show everyone what I’ve been waiting to break out with.”Wyher made his season debut with a first-place finish in the men’s 100-yard backstroke. His time of 48.19 seconds was good for an NCAA consideration cut.Wyher scored again when he took first place in the men’s 50-yard freestyle.Senior and men’s team captain Browning finished third in the men’s 200-yard freestyle, followed by second in the men’s 100-yard freestyle.“Hank Browning was very good today,” DeSelm said. “He hasn’t been tested in competition, and he swam some times that were as good as some of the best he did last year.”Senior women’s team captain Alison Clemens did not swim in the meet, but her absence had nothing to do with her suspension, DeSelm said.The return of the three valuable swimmers came just in time for the Gamecock Invitational, swum in two weeks in Columbia, S.C., as well as USA Swimming Short Course National Championships, which will take place during the first week of December.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
Victories have been abundant for the North Carolina men’s and women’s swim teams this season, but for the last six meets, something’s been missing.On Sept. 20, swimmers Hank Browning, Alison Clemens and Rebecca Kane were cited for alcohol violations. As a result, they were suspended from competition until Nov. 1.Tommy Wyher also received a suspension for similar reasons, but it was unrelated to the other three suspensions.In Friday’s meet, Browning, Kane and Wyher were able to participate in their first NCAA meet of the season, scoring a combined 54 points to help carry the Tar Heels to victories against the Terrapins.The men’s team won 171-98, and the women won 166-117.“It gets us closer to being a whole, instead of a part,” head coach Rich DeSelm said about their return. “Any team, any business that suffers hardship, if you can regroup and get all your team members back on the same page and all participating, it’s good for morale, it’s good for momentum. Clearly these people are talented.”In her first meet of the season, Kane led the women’s team with wins in the 50-yard freestyle, the 100-yard freestyle and the 400-yard freestyle relay.Kane has the second fastest women’s 50-yard freestyle time in school history with a 22.41-second time. Against Maryland, she clocked in just short of her personal best, nabbing an NCAA consideration cut with a time of 23.00 seconds.“It was a long month of not being able to compete,” Kane said. “I was so excited to come back and show everyone what I’ve been waiting to break out with.”Wyher made his season debut with a first-place finish in the men’s 100-yard backstroke. His time of 48.19 seconds was good for an NCAA consideration cut.Wyher scored again when he took first place in the men’s 50-yard freestyle.Senior and men’s team captain Browning finished third in the men’s 200-yard freestyle, followed by second in the men’s 100-yard freestyle.“Hank Browning was very good today,” DeSelm said. “He hasn’t been tested in competition, and he swam some times that were as good as some of the best he did last year.”Senior women’s team captain Alison Clemens did not swim in the meet, but her absence had nothing to do with her suspension, DeSelm said.The return of the three valuable swimmers came just in time for the Gamecock Invitational, swum in two weeks in Columbia, S.C., as well as USA Swimming Short Course National Championships, which will take place during the first week of December.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
The North Carolina swimming and diving teams were a nightmare for Georgia Tech this weekend in the Koury Natatorium.The men’s and women’s teams beat Georgia 166.5-119.5 and 165-128, respectively.UNC hosted the N.C. Aquatics Club Mile Meet on Friday. Coach Rich DeSelm said he thought the quick turnaround would benefit his team in training for the NCAA championships at the end of the season.“The goal for this year was to come together as a team, practice hard, race tough,” DeSelm said. “And we’re getting really good at that.”Vinny Pryor contributed to the Tar Heel victory with individual wins in the 200- and 100-yard breaststroke. He was also a member of the winning 200-yard freestyle relay. Jim Flannery added two wins with first place finishes in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke.Despite the North Carolina men’s 400-yard freestyle relay team getting disqualified in the final event of the meet, the men still won 10 of the 16 events.There was a noticeable absence in the distance freestyle events for North Carolina. Chip Peterson, who usually competes in both the 500 and 1000, took second place in the 200-yard freestyle.“To stay fresh sometimes you have the opportunity to mix the lineup a little bit,” DeSelm said. “We had that opportunity today. It keeps people sharp and gets them excited about something different.”For the women, Katura Harvey won both the 500- and 1000- yard freestyle events. In the same fashion, Katie Keel took first place in the 200- and 100-yard breaststroke.“I think we’re all really excited about this year, and we have a great class of freshman,” Keel said. “We’d like to win ACCs. This year, especially since it’s here, it’s going to be a really big aspiration. We’ve got to represent our house.”The men’s team, now a perfect 5-0 after last week’s win over powerhouse Georgia, has made vast improvements since last year. It is something many of the swimmers attribute to the experience and dedication of DeSelm, who came to UNC after six years as an assistant coach at Florida.“He knows the best of the best,” Keel said. “His background and what he’s brought to the program is helping us shape into a really good team. I think his goals and what he’s bringing from Florida is getting us to a good start.”UNC will be back in the pool Friday when it takes on ACC rival Maryland. For the men, a triumph against the Terrapins will give them six wins, the same amount earned by the Tar Heels in the entire 2008-2009 season.“On paper, I’d be disappointed if we didn’t handle them, if we took them for granted or if we didn’t show up,” DeSelm said. “If you scored it on paper, we should win. But they swim it in the pool.” Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
The last thing the North Carolina men’s basketball team wants this season is a rehash of last year’s ACC Tournament shocker, when the soon-to-be national champions fell from grace at the hands of Florida State. But if the Seminoles’ drastically improved performance continues this season, the Tar Heels may have a reason to fear the spear.Florida State, traditionally not known for its stellar basketball program, went to the finals of the ACC Tournament last year for the first time in school history after upsetting UNC 73-70. The Seminoles lost the tournament title to Duke, but their tournament performance — coupled with only 10 regular-season losses — sent them straight to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 1997-1998 season. The Seminoles lost in the first round of tournament play, but ended the season with a 25-10 record and finished 10-6 in ACC play (fourth in the ACC).The 2008-09 ACC Coach of the Year, Leonard Hamilton, will be looking forward to continued success from his team again this season. With sophomore Solomon Alabi on the roster, the Seminoles could likely achieve that and more.Last season the 7-foot, 1-inch center averaged 2.1 blocks per game — good for tops in the ACC. When the Seminoles downed UNC in the second round of the ACC tournament, Alabi was a critical factor. The freshman registered two blocks and contested seemingly every shot UNC put up in the lane. In that game, Alabi also dropped 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting — good for second on the team along with Derwin Kitchen.Alabi was also the only freshman named to the ACC All-Defensive team.In August, Alabi was named a pre-season nominee for the Wooden All-American team and National Player of the year award.Alabi was second in points per game (8.4) behind Toney Douglas (21.5) last season, but led the team in rebounds, blocked shots and field goal percentage. The Seminoles will lose only two starters, but coping with the loss of last season’s ACC leading scorer Douglas may prove to be an uphill battle. With only one senior on this season’s roster, the Seminoles will depend largely on a young starting lineup to carry them through a tough conference schedule.
The bold blue letters on the wall of the Koury Natatorium read “Heels’ House.”
On match point in the fourth set against Wake Forest, Aleksandra Georgieva delivered a critical service ace, catapulting the North Carolina women’s volleyball team to a 3-1 win over its conference rival Sunday in the Dean Smith Center.“I think that this a character win; it tells us a little bit about who we are,” coach Joe Sagula said after the match. “I’m proud of what we’re doing and how well we’re playing. I think that we’re maturing.”The UNC women won the first set 25-21 after senior Branagan Fuller led with six kills. Fuller is part of a recent outside hitter solution that has carried the Tar Heels to three straight wins after a string of consecutive losses in September.“The strategy has changed just in the intensity mind set,” sophomore Courtney Johnston said. “The last two weeks, coach Sagula has been on us, making sure we’re intense. If we’re not, he’s creating intensity for us for these kind of matches.”Wake Forest lost its first ten matches of the season but has recently improved in the conference standings, winning seven of nine matches heading into the game against North Carolina.UNC led for most of the second set and beat the Deacons quickly, 25-16. Wake Forest rallied back in the third, winning the set — which had eleven tie scores and seven lead changes — 25-21. The Tar Heels won the fourth and final set of the match, 25-20, after breaking away from a 15-15 tie.“We had a lot of pressure to stop their run, to beat them in our house,” senior Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland said. “Of course our pride is on the line. We just beat Duke. This was really just another message game, just to tell us we’ve really come a long way.”After a home win against then-ACC leader Duke on Friday, UNC was tied for second place in the loss column alongside the Blue Devils and Georgia Tech. The win against the Wake Forest makes the Tar Heels 10-9 on the season and 6-2 in conference play.North Carolina has won three straight ACC matchups and will travel next weekend to take on Miami and Florida State. The Seminoles are currently on top of the ACC standings and are ranked 17th in the nation.“It’s hard to carry momentum from a week later,” Sagula said. “But it gives us confidence to say that we were behind. We can come back against solid teams. Confidence is the key. That carries a lot of weight.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
The North Carolina men’s and women’s cross country teams were at Notre Dame on Friday, but they weren’t just fighting the Irish.The Tar Heels competed in the Notre Dame Invitational, sprinting to 15th and 12th place finishes, respectively.Coach Peter Watson, who commented on his hopes for both personal and team improvement in a pre-meet podcast, certainly had his dream come to fruition with the progress made by the Tar Heels in South Bend.Senior Lauren Holesh was the top individual finisher for North Carolina, placing 11th in the women’s 5,000-meter with a time of 17:02. Holesh, the only senior on the women’s roster, improved from a 15th place finish in last year’s invitational despite an injury that has kept her out since February.“I did lots of work over the summer to prepare for this year,” Holesh said. “I ran 85 miles a week to build up to my return. It was just really awesome to see the hard work pay off.”The improvements continued when Tar Heel Evan Watchempino, who was 51st in the Notre Dame Invitational last year, jumped to 18th place overall in the men’s 8,000-meters with a time of 24:14.In addition to Holesh and Watchempino, Ashley Verplank, Mariana Lucena and Zack Dawson helped UNC with top-100 finishes.Out of 23 women’s teams that participated in the invitational, 10 of them were nationally ranked in the top 30. UNC’s women’s team placed ahead of No. 27 Rice, and the men beat No. 28 Notre Dame.“It is definitely a team effort,” Holesh said. “Last year, there was a large gap between the second and third runners. This year, the difference between the first and the fourth is a minute. We are running as a pack. As a team that’s what we aim for.”The Tar Heels will return to Indiana on Oct. 17 to compete in the NCAA Pre-National Meet in Terre Haute.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
The North Carolina men’s golf team proved last weekend that they have the art of winning down to a tee when the Tar Heels won their season opener, the Maryland Intercollegiate.The win Sunday in Cambridge, Md., marked a sizable improvement from last year’s fourth place finish at the two-day tournament.The Tar Heels are coached by John Inman, who is entering his 12th year of coaching at UNC. Inman began coaching at his alma mater after leaving a 12-year stint on the PGA tour.UNC finished with a three-round total of 849, beating second place Virginia Commonwealth by one stroke and third-place finisher N.C. State by nine.Tar Heel junior Henry Zaytoun finished on top, tying Virginia’s Ben Kohles for first place. In addition to Zaytoun, the Tar Heels had three other top finishers, including freshman Michael McGowan, Kevin O’Connell and Jack Fields.“We had a bad season last year. We underachieved as a team,” said Zaytoun, whose first collegiate win was the Maryland Intercollegiate. “It was awesome to win individually, but it was even better to win for the team.”The addition of two freshmen on the 10-man squad is likely to help the Tar Heels this season. McGowan, a freshman from Southern Pines, tied for a fifth-place finish in last weekend’s event. “From a team perspective, we have proved we can win tournaments. It’s more mental than anything else. We have the talent; now we have the mental edge,” Zaytoun said.UNC will return to the greens on Oct. 3 when the Tar Heels will compete in the Gary Koch invitational in Tampa, Fla.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.