After reaching 20 wins before November for the first time in coach Joe Sagula’s 24-year tenure, the No. 12 North Carolina volleyball team dropped a pair of crucial conference road games in Florida this past weekend.
UNC lost close matches at No. 20 Florida State on Friday and Miami on Sunday.
The Tar Heels struggled throughout the weekend, playing fifth sets for only the fourth and fifth times this season.
“This trip down south to Florida has always been a tough trip for us and this year we got real close in both matches but could not finish it the way we would’ve liked,” Sagula said.
The team has dropped both of the Florida school matches in each of the last three seasons.
Junior outside hitter Lauren Adkins said part of her team’s problem stems from fatigue.
“Five games are always tough because you’re both physically and mentally tired by the end of it so it takes a toll on you,” she said. “But when we get these opportunities, we need to finish them.”
After taking the first set in both matchups, UNC fell in both second sets, setting up for back-to-back defeats, going 27-25, 21-25, 16-25, 25-17 and 8-15 against the Seminoles, and 25-21, 18-25, 25-19, 22-25, and 10-15 against the Hurricanes.
Against the Seminoles, sophomore Leigh Andrew stepped up to lead the Tar Heels with 15 kills and 12 digs and graduate student Jovana Bjelica stepped up with 14 kills, 12 digs, and six blocks.
