Volleyball collects two wins during weekend

It was the last of many things. The North Carolina volleyball team played its final home game of the season Sunday against a Virginia Tech team that has played better than its 7-7 ACC record suggests.

But the game was also the last home game for the team’s departing seniors: outside hitters Megan Owens and Branagan Fuller, as well as middle blockers Heather Brooks and Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland.

The match marked the last time the team would play a home game in the Smith Center, with Carmichael Auditorium opening Nov. 13.

“This game was not only significant for the seniors because it was our last home game, but it was also significant for the whole team,” Owens said.

 “We really wanted to focus on having a great team victory and leaving our Dean Dome tradition on a really high note.”

After a dominating 3-1 win against Virginia in front of more than 7,000 attendees on Friday, the Tar Heels took on the Hokies. UNC pulled off the 3-2 victory in five tough sets.

“It was a pretty crazy match,” coach Joe Sagula said. “It seems this year whenever we play Virginia Tech, it’s a strange type of match.”

Virginia Tech won the first set, and in doing so, it became clear that the team that played with the best strategy and ball placement — not just power — would win the match.

“It was a tactical game,” Sagula said. “But in the end, it seemed to all come together.”

The Tar Heels rallied back in the second set and won 25-23 after an intense back-and-forth battle. But Virginia Tech won the third set, again by a margin of 25-18.

UNC took the fourth set 25-20. The set was not as close as the score made it seem. The Tar Heels led 23-13 but gave up a lot of ground to the Hokies late in the game.

The fifth set featured a great performance by the senior Brooks. Brooks knocked down four blocks and two kills to lead the team to a 15-10 victory in the decisive set.

“I went out there thinking, ‘We’re winning,’” Brooks said. “We were going to win it in five and end it quickly. That’s what was going through my head.”

Freshman Emily McGee had a solid game with 17 kills while providing key hits throughout the match.

“We have been so dependent on our middle hitters,” Sagula said. “They carried us the entire season, and we’re thankful for that. But today our outsides did a really good job.”

Owens had a career performance herself. She hit 13 kills and only one error with a .444 attack average. As the match ended, she shed tears as the team celebrated.

“Hearing the band play and having Fever sing with us, it just kind of hit me that this was the last time any of this would happen for the seniors,” Owens said.



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