The No. 8 North Carolina volleyball team swept Clemson 3-0 Friday (25-16, 25-12, 25-11).
What happened?
UNC (22-3, 14-1 ACC) scored five straight points under first-year outside hitter Julia Scoles’s serving to take an early lead in the first set over Clemson (6-21, 1-14 ACC). The Tar Heels continued to hold momentum throughout the rest of the set, recovering quickly from mishits. With strong kills by redshirt sophomore outside hitter Taylor Leath and Scoles, the Tar Heels held the lead for a final score of 25-16.
The Tigers and the Tar Heels battled during the first points to knot the score at 3-3 in the second set. But UNC gained confidence and went on a 10-1 scoring run. Junior middle hitter Beth Nordhorn had a strong unsuspected kill that changed the momentum of the game and gave UNC an 8-3 lead. Carolina continued to hold dominance as the set progressed, keeping as much as a 15-point lead at one point. The set ended with a score of 25-12 in the Tar Heels favor.
The third set was characterized with strength and confidence. Though Clemson continued to pressure UNC, the Tar Heels soon took control of the game and scored off strong kills by Leath, Scoles, Nordham, and redshirt junior middle hitter Taylor Fricano. North Carolina won the final set 25-11.
Who stood out?
Scoles stood out during the first set with two aces, five kills and a block. She ended the night with 12 points, eight kills and seven digs.
Nodhorn also stood out during the second set, as her kill shifted the momentum and helped the Tar Heels gain confidence. She ended the night with eight kills and a .462 hitting percentage.
During the third set, Leath whacked a kill not only shocked the crowd, but signified the strength of the team and gave UNC a 21-10 lead. Throughout the game, the team held strong and didn’t let the points interfere with their play. With the crowd going crazy, the team stood higher and took more risks. Leath embodied this mentality in her play.
