Tar Heels try to learn from loss

If there's such a thing as a valuable loss, Saturday night's match against Georgia Tech could be considered one of those defeats for the North Carolina volleyball team.

Following a Sept. 24 drubbing at the hands of the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, UNC responded by rattling off six wins in its next nine conference matches.

The rematch in Carmichael Auditorium featured the ACC's top teams. The Yellow Jackets, 10-0 in ACC play, defeated then-second-place UNC 3-1.

But the Tar Heels left the court with a sense of accomplishment, proving to themselves that they can compete with any team in the conference.

"After this match tonight, I think we're one of the top three teams (in the ACC) by far, and that's where we want to be going into the ACC Tournament," said UNC coach Joe Sagula. "We're feeling really good about where we are right now."

For North Carolina, much of the team's success can be attributed to the recent emergence of key players. At this point in the season, teams usually have set starting line-ups and substitution rotations, but for UNC, certain players have afforded Sagula the luxury of being able to experiment with varying personnel on the court.

"Brittany Randel has come in and really contributed a lot," Sagula said. "But the most important person that has really (contributed) when we needed it is Dani Nyenhuis."

With 29 kills against Georgia Tech, Nyenhuis' Saturday night performance is one of the reasons the Tar Heels are optimistic about their chances in the ACC.

"(Friday) night's game and (Saturday night's) game is better than we've played the last 10 games," Nyenhuis said. "I think we're on the right track."

Despite North Carolina's confidence in its overall play at this point in the season, the Tar Heels still have room for improvement.

"At times we're really good at blocking," Sagula said. "At times it disappears. We just need to be consistent about how we're going to block. ... That's what we improved upon (against Georgia Tech)."

The consistency issue is one Sagula believes can be remedied through the practice and play of his five seniors, an experienced group that was on the team that won the 2001 ACC Tournament.

"The (seniors) have to carry the load. The team that has more veterans is going to be more successful," Sagula said. "We have to utilize that as a very big strength of ours."

Said senior defensive specialist Caroline deRoeck, "We have great senior leadership. The seniors in general are playing great."

Intangibles like consistency, leadership and experience will determine how successful North Carolina will be come the postseason. And, if given the opportunity, the Tar Heels would jump at the chance to show Georgia Tech what they learned about themselves Saturday night.

"I think we can take anybody out there," deRoeck said. "Georgia Tech we hope to see in the finals ... and we hope to take them down."

Reflecting the optimism of her teammates, Nyenhuis offered an even bolder prediction.

"The third time is the charm when we play Tech."

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.