On Friday, the North Carolina volleyball team lost a non-conference match to Miami (Ohio) by a score of 3-1 in Rochester, Michigan. This loss dropped UNC's record to 1-5 on the season, while Miami (Ohio) improved to 4-3.
What happened?
Early on, the Tar Heels struggled to get much going against Miami (Ohio). They dropped the first two sets before snagging one win in a 25-22 victory in the third set.
“Overall I’m pretty disappointed, obviously," North Carolina head coach Joe Sagula said. "I thought we had a pretty good week of preparation, but finding ways to sustain a consistent level of play throughout a match is the biggest problem we have right now.”
The final three sets were a different story for UNC. North Carolina came close to winning almost every set, but was unable to finish strong in some of the final moments.
The first set was the largest margin of defeat, with North Carolina dropping the set, 25-19. The second, third and fourth set were all decided by three points or less.
“We’re letting a lot of close ones slip away from us right now,” Sagula said. “I’m hoping that this team continues to learn each week what we need to do, how to finish better and be better after 20 points.”
Who stood out?
A few players for North Carolina had standout performances in Friday's close matchup. On offense, Skyy Howard, Parker Austin and Skylar Wine were the main attackers with 10, 12 and 10 kills, respectively. Aristea Tantai chipped in with eight as well.
