After defeating the North Carolina volleyball team twice during the regular season, Florida State might overlook its first round ACC Tournament match against the Tar Heels.
But UNC hopes those two losses do not foreshadow an early exit from the race for the conference title.
"It's our turn to beat them," said senior libero Caroline deRoeck. "It's really hard for a team to beat someone three times in a row, especially when we're that good. I think that, especially coming off two losses, we're fired up."
The Tar Heels enter Friday's match in Charlottesville, Va., seeded fifth in the conference after dropping the last three matches of the season to Virginia Tech, Miami, and the fourth-seeded Seminoles.
Before the consecutive defeats, UNC had sole possession of second place behind powerhouse Georgia Tech.
"It's disappointing that we couldn't finish strong," said UNC coach Joe Sagula. "Although, when you go into the tournament, it's a whole new season. It's not ideal, but it's where we are, and we have to accept that."
The previous outings against FSU could prove advantageous for the Tar Heels, said co-captain Molly Pyles, who was named First Team All-ACC on Wednesday.
"We're ready for them," she said. "We know a lot more about them, and we'll be ready to go."
The Tar Heels know they will have to improve their serving, passing and blocking.