Then UNC's youth unraveled and dropped game three to the Pirates. But the insertion of seniors (and regular starters) Laura Greene, Malaika Underwood and Eve Rackham in game four stirred the Tar Heels to a 30-28 victory, clinching the match 3-1.
The Tar Heels (18-1, 5-0 in the ACC) were led by double-doubles from redshirt freshman Camilla Ihenetu (13 kills, 20 digs) and true freshman Dani Nyenhuis (13 kills, 11 digs).
Facing East Carolina (4-15), UNC coach Joe Sagula opted to get a look at the future of his program.
"Our goal was to try to not have (the seniors) play at all if we could," Sagula said. "We won the first two games, and then things just slipped away a little bit during that third game."
UNC won the first two games easily by a score of 30-21 in each.
Game three was a different story as ECU blew by UNC with a 13-0 run. North Carolina's seniors (except Greene) watched from the sideline, unable to change the outcome, a 30-27 Pirate win.
"I think the players that were out on the floor are good enough to beat ECU any day, and they just couldn't put it together in that third game," Underwood said. "It's a little frustrating, but we got the 'W' and that's what counts."
Sagula gave the second unit the chance to close out the match in game four, telling them that if they were first to 15 points, he would let them finish it out.
But when the Pirates took a 15-11 lead Sagula made the call for experience to come to the rescue.
