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The Daily Tar Heel

Julia Scoles, Sydnye Fields lead UNC volleyball to 3-1 win over Duke

The No. 12 North Carolina volleyball team held off a hungry Duke squad, 3-1, in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Thursday night. The Tar Heels (4-0) remain undefeated and are off to a hot start this season.

What happened?

The first set was a sloppy one for North Carolina. In a back and forth period that Duke (3-1) won 25-22, the Tar Heels registered eight attack errors.

UNC was quick to retaliate, however, as the team rushed out to a 7-1 lead in the second set. Led by the incredible play of first-year Julia Scoles, the Tar Heels carried this momentum through the rest of the set, notching a solid 25-18 win.

Right when it seemed like North Carolina was taking over the game, the errors returned and Duke capitalized. Tied at 23-23 in the third set, the Tar Heels clamped down to win the set, 25-23, and took an all-important 2-1 lead.

The third set took the breath out of the Blue Devils, and UNC did not let off the gas. Duke used its last bit of strength in the beginning of the fourth set, but the Tar Heels still managed to pull ahead, 20-12. This was a large enough lead for North Carolina to work with, as they clinched the set and the match with a 25-20 win.

Who stood out?

Julia Scoles was all over the floor Thursday night. She led the North Carolina attack with 17 kills, though the double-double machine also had 14 digs, four blocks and two aces.

Redshirt first-year Sydnye Fields was a brick wall all night, tallying a UNC-record 15 block assists along with one solo block. She also added seven kills to her historic stat line.

When was it decided?

After a furious Blue Devil run tied the third set 23-23, Fields and redshirt senior Taylor Treacy stepped into the spotlight. North Carolina won a tough point to push the score to 24-23, and then the pair raised up with the set line to get a game-winning block. In a match where Fields and the Tar Heels dominated the net, this was the biggest of the team’s 21 blocks.

Why does it matter?

It doesn't matter the sport in the rivalry between North Carolina and Duke — it always seems to produce electrifying games. The two teams were playing for pride and giving it all they had. The Tar Heels were also fresh off a win against one of the best teams in the country in Penn State, which made North Carolina 3-0 on the season and pushed it into the top 15 in the national polls.

Where do they play next?

The Tar Heels will play their first home game of the season this weekend as they take on TCU at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.

@YonaDagalosi

sports@dailytarheel.com

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