UNC falls despite Beaver's play

The postseason hopes of the North Carolina volleyball team likely ended in the ACC championship match Sunday.

In that match, the Tar Heels fell to seventh-seeded Maryland in three games 30-24, 30-24, 30-17.

The team was unable to continue the excellent play it used to dispatch Florida State on Friday and Clemson on Saturday, both in three games.

The quarterfinal and semifinal matches showed the potential UNC possessed all season. The final match represented how they played for most of the season.

"We always talked about playing hard, playing smart, playing together," said sophomore middle hitter Amy Beaver. "Once we played together, it went really smoothly, and we started to dominate."

The Tar Heels dominated the Seminoles throughout. After getting swept during the regular season, North Carolina beat fourth-seeded Florida State 30-17, 33-31, 30-24.

Beaver set the tone early.

"The first few points, it was the Amy Beaver Show," said co-captain Molly Pyles. "She really set the tone in game one."

Both players received an all-tournament team selection.

"I always get angry when I play against (FSU)," Beaver said. "The way that they play inspires me to want to beat them."

Against Florida State, Beaver hit at a rate of almost 43 percent and recorded an impressive nine blocks.

"She had a burning desire to shut them down," Pyles said.

Beaver said Florida State brought out an intense passion the team often lacked during the season. UNC fed off that energy early and often.

"We felt like we had nothing to lose, we came out so hard and beat them so bad," Beaver said. "We're not very fond of them. We pounded them from the get-go."

The Tar Heels carried that momentum into Saturday's semifinal against Clemson, beating the Tigers 30-19, 31-29, 30-23.

Beaver starred again, recording 10 kills and hitting a whopping 60 percent. With the eight blocks she added, Beaver's play was UNC's best of the tournament.

"We passed well, and we were able to set her a lot, more than we have been," said Coach Joe Sagula.

The team focused on passing to the middle hitters because it knew opponents would key on Pyles and fellow outside hitter Dani Nyenhuis.

But UNC faltered in Sunday's ACC final.

"We didn't pass well, we didn't dig well, we didn't block well," Sagula said. "All facets of the game were at a much lower level."

Perhaps the Terrapins caught the Tar Heels off guard.

"Maryland played three straight matches already," Pyles said. "We thought they may be tired. Hats off to them."

Despite the setback, UNC felt it met its expectations.

"Our goal was to make a run and play really well," Sagula said. "So I think we exceeded that."

Sagula added that he thought the Tar Heels would have reached the finals if they knocked off the Seminoles.

But as for a bid to the NCAA Tournament, Sagula was skeptical.

"My gut says no," he said. "Stranger things have happened. I'd be more surprised than expect it."

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.