Volleyball Turns Frustration Into Motivation to Sweep Wake Forest

Frustrated with their lackluster win Thursday night against Duke, the Tar Heels swept Wake Forest 3-0 in front of 5,623.

"I think we came out a lot more intense; we had a better game plan (Friday)," said setter Eve Rackham. "I think we went into (the Duke match) a little lackadaisical and weren't really focused."

UNC coach Joe Sagula said the players took it upon themselves to wake up and play a crisper match against the Demon Deacons.

But at the onset of Friday's match, the Tar Heels (17-1, 5-0 in the ACC) came out sloppy, allowing a focused Wake Forest squad (8-10, 2-3) to build an early seven-point lead.

UNC clawed to within one at 21-22, when they became victims of a questionable call in which it appeared Wake used four hits to return the ball.

The call awoke the crowd, and on the subsequent points the fans sarcastically counted out the number of Wake Forest hits and mocked the Deacs whenever the third hit cleared the net.

More importantly, the team responded to the adversity by winning the next five points and nine of the next 11 to close out the match.

"It kinda gets us determined, and we did make the next play after that," Sagula said. "We have enough experience and poise to say, 'It's not going to fluster us that much.' At home, with the great crowd, it allows us to have confidence and feel like we could come back."

Tar Heel outside hitter Molly Pyles ignited the team, going four for five on kill attempts in the first game. She led the team with 11 digs and 13 kills.

The sophomore said she has been playing better since she started relaxing more on the court.

"I started out the season a little weaker than I wanted, so I really tried to sit down and focus the day of the match, all day," Pyles said. "When I play tense, that's when I make mistakes."

After taking the first game, the Tar Heels took control of the match, never trailing by more than two points the rest of the night.

That stat can be attributed to UNC's defense.

The Tar Heels, which lead the ACC in blocks, out-blocked Wake 12-4. Holly Strauss, who is third in the conference in blocks, knocked down three solo blocks and collected five block assists.

But the defensive star of the night was Laura Greene, who finished the night with eight digs.

"I think tonight was one of our best defensive matches in weeks, and Laura Greene was phenomenal," Sagula said. "She single-handedly created that defensive momentum."

After playing three consecutive difficult matches, Rackham said the Tar Heels were determined to sweep the Demon Deacons.

"We made a point of it in the locker room (after the second game)," Rackham said. "We said, 'We're going to take this last game; we're going to finish this game right here. We're not messing around anymore.'"

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.