For the fourth match in a row, head coach Joe Sagula stepped onto the court in hopes of attaining his 800th win and exited empty-handed.
The North Carolina volleyball team (5-11, 1-6 ACC) never found a rhythm against No. 6 Pittsburgh on Friday in the Smith Center, and the Panthers (19-0, 7-0 ACC) — who are one of the two remaining undefeated teams in the nation after their three-set sweep against the Tar Heels — could do no wrong.
By the end of the match, the Panthers had 11 more kills, 12 more assists, 18 more digs and 10 fewer errors than their conference opponent. The Tar Heels struggled in all facets of their game, consistently hitting into the block and failing to capitalize on quick offense opportunities.
Sagula, who is entering his 29th season at the Tar Heel helm, said that his team came into the competition flat and uninspired, and that took him by surprise, considering the 6,000-plus crowd that was on-hand and the high-caliber opponent his team played.
“Pitt's good,” Sagula said. “They're not overly physical and tall, but they play solid and we knew that… But to have their middle hit .733, that's not supposed to happen, not if we're slowing them down.”
By the end of the three-set match, Sagula used 14 of his 15 allowed substitutions, diving deep into his bench to try and clear his team’s air of apathy.
“I mean, we tried to mix things up in the third set,” he said. “Kendra (Koetter) came in and did a good job of getting people pumped up. But I don't think we set well. I think our passing went away at times when we needed it.”
There were some bright spots, of course. For a moment — with the Tar Heels up 17-14 in the second set, and with Pittsburgh being forced to regroup in a mid-set timeout — it looked like a proverbial fire was brewing for North Carolina.
But even that flame was ephemeral.
