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The Daily Tar Heel

It’s not due to a love of the holidays, the weather or even winter break. No, this team is looking past the fall months with one destination in mind: the NCAA Tournament.

But first the No. 20 Tar Heels have to earn their way there, and that means winning early crucial matches in the season’s beginning. UNC opened up the season this weekend at the Illini Classic, sweeping Southern Illinois and Long Beach State 3-0 before being swept in its final match by No. 11 Illinois.

Coach Joe Sagula was pleased with his team’s efforts and is satisfied that it established itself just three games into the season.

“We played three very good opponents, three very highly regarded teams,” he said. “Obviously we want to win every match, but I think it was successful, both in the win-loss column as well as for where we need to be with our program at this point in the season.”

Junior setter Jordyn Schnabl said this weekend’s matches were already prepping the team for post-season action.

“I think it was a good learning experience,” Schnabl said. “We have a lot to improve upon from both our wins and our loss. (Illinois) was a good team, and I think it is going to help prepare us for regular season and, most importantly, December and the NCAA Tournament.”

This year’s NCAA Tournament will take place in Oklahoma City. In the 2013 season, California eliminated the Tar Heels in the first round in what was the third consecutive first-round matchup between the two teams. Junior outside hitter Leigh Andrew said the team needs to be at its best nearing the season’s end if it’s going to have a different outcome this time.

“Obviously, we want to win the ACC,” she said. “So we definitely hope to make it to the NCAA Tournament. We believe that our season will start in December, and that’s when we need to show up, and that’s when we need to peak and play our best.”

In 2013, UNC opened up play by winning its first 15 games — and 20 of the first 21. But Sagula said losing an early match isn’t a bad thing for the Tar Heels.

“Winning streaks are good, but after a while, you don’t appreciate what it takes to win,” Sagula said. “I think this will really allow us to become better fighters, to be inspired, to want to improve and to be more prepared for the next matches we play. Yeah, winning streaks are great, but I think there is a lot of learning that can occur from this type of weekend, and that’s what I’m most happy about.”

He also expressed his hopes for his team this year, throwing out the D-word just as his players do.

“This is more about us learning from this and how to make us a better team as the season goes on,” Sagula said. “Being a great team in September is wonderful, but really being a great team in late November, early December is what the ultimate goal is.”

sports@dailytarheel.com

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