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(04/21/08 4:00am)
Taking advantage of a record Anderson Stadium crowd, the North Carolina softball team used solid pitching and timely hitting to sweep N.C. State this weekend.
The three victories marked the first time North Carolina has come out victorious in a game against the Wolfpack (27-23, 8-10 ACC) since 2005. With the sweep, UNC set a school record of 16 conference wins in a year, surpassing last year's mark of 13.
The series was the last of the season for No. 15 North Carolina (45-8-1, 16-1) at their home confines, and a record crowd of 1,251 was on hand to help the Tar Heels honor their seniors before Saturday's doubleheader.
"Having the crowd we had, I think that was great for our seniors," said UNC coach Donna J. Papa. "You're always going to have that kind of a crowd with State and Carolina. It's just the way that game is."
Until this weekend, however, N.C. State held a commanding 11-2 lead in the all-time series. In fact, the only UNC players who had any firsthand experience defeating the Wolfpack were the trio of North Carolina seniors who did it their freshman year.
"It's been three years coming," said senior Cassie Palmer after the sweep.
Prior to this weekend, scoring in itself had proven to be a tough task for the Tar Heels in the recent past against N.C. State, as UNC had suffered four consecutive shutouts against the Wolfpack.
The dry spell persisted deep into Saturday's first game until Danielle Spaulding cranked a sixth -inning offering over the right-field fence to break what had been a scoreless tie. Spaulding followed up her smash by returning to the circle in the top of the seventh and retiring three straight batters to secure the 1-0 game one victory.
Saturday's second game was much of the same, and both teams struggled to score throughout the first three innings.
The game's only offense came in the bottom of the fourth inning, when UNC junior Emily Troup fired a double off the center field wall. Advancing to third on a textbook sacrifice bunt, Troup's pinch-runner, sophomore Anna Roberts, slid home safely on a passed ball to give UNC a one-run lead.
That run was all junior pitcher Lisa Norris needed as she kept the Wolfpack at bay all afternoon, allowing zero runs on only one hit.
Still smarting from consecutive blankings the day before, the Wolfpack came out swinging in Sunday's finale. After singling to left in the game's first at-bat, N.C. State senior Shanna Smith stole two bags and slid home under a Brittany McKinney tag to give the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead.
N.C. State's first and only lead of the series was short-lived, as UNC rallied back to collect three two-out runs in the bottom of the first.
UNC pitcher Amber Johnson made the lead stick for the Tar Heels. Striking out nine in the series' final game, Johnson improved her record to 12-1 on the year and finished off North Carolina's 16th consecutive conference win.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu
(04/14/08 4:00am)
The contributions and careers of 12 senior members of the North Carolina track and field teams were recognized Saturday at the Tony Waldrop Invitational.
After four years of hard work, the group of honorees, ranging from All-Americans to multiple-time national champions, had center stage in their final home meet.
"The thing that always amazes me is how quick they become seniors," said UNC head coach Dennis Craddock. "You look up one day, and all of a sudden they're seniors, and you say, 'It could not have been four years.'"
Making the most of the recognition, a number of Tar Heel seniors prolonged their time in the spotlight and led UNC to a slew of first-place finishes.
Seniors Tyra Johnson and Megan Kaltenbach, both national champions during their time in Chapel Hill, legged out top times in the 200-meter dash and 1,500-meter run, respectively.
Seniors took top honors in the throws, as well. Ian Reynolds' 16.03-meter hurl of the shot put landed him in first-place company with fellow senior Jocelyn White, who bested her nearest competitor in the discus by more than three meters.
In what was possibly North Carolina's most impressive showing of the day, seniors Porscha Dobson and Colleen Farley finished just ahead of sophomore Vinneisha Ivy to claim the top three spots in the women's 400-meter hurdles for the Tar Heels.
Racing against the clock and looming inclement weather, Ivy improved her standing in the 100-meter hurdles, finishing a mere hundredth of a second behind freshman teammate LaToya James.
"We're always pushing each other to try to beat each other," Ivy said of her relationship with James.
"Even in practice we talk, like, 'I'm gonna beat you over the first hurdle.'"
Immediately following James and Ivy's neck-to-neck finish, action on Belk Track was suspended for a two-hour rain delay. Though the delay was a headache for most of the meet's sprinters, it came as slight gift for UNC sophomore high jumper Donte Nall.
Given that a majority of the spectators and athletes, along with a pair of contests, were moved inside during the delay, Nall and the other leapers were presented with a sizable crowd during their jumps.
Craddock tried to make sure Nall realized his opportunity.
"I told him. I said, 'I don't think you'll ever have that big an audience again for the high jump. Take advantage while you've got it,'" Craddock said.
Nall fed off the crowd's energy, and on his third attempt he cleared an Olympic B-team qualifying height of 7 feet and 2.5 inches to win the competition.
"When the people are around and they're cheering you, that kind of gives you a little boost," Nall said.
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(03/26/08 4:00am)
North Carolina right-hander Lisa Norris was remarkable Tuesday night, and if it hadn't been for a slippery three-foot bunt single to lead off the fourth inning, she would have been unhittable.
The junior hurler left her mark on the Elon lineup with a career-high 16 strikeouts as she led the Tar Heels to a 7-0 victory at Anderson Stadium.
In addition to striking out eight of the first nine batters she faced, Norris notched North Carolina's first run with her solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second.
Norris appeared to be cruising after three innings, but her second time through the lineup started with a bit of a hiccup.
Elon shortstop Tracey Dahlen came to the plate focused to make contact in the top of fourth and dropped a perfect bunt in front of the plate to secure the Phoenix's first hit.
"It made me a little bitter," Norris said of the play.
The Tar Heels, however, would no doubt have the last laugh and didn't allow another Elon baserunner on the evening.
Following Norris' lead, the Tar Heel hitters provided their ace with loads of insurance.
After collecting a single and her second stolen base of the day, UNC junior Brenna Brown scored in the third when Jennifer Jacob's single was bobbled by Elon center fielder Brandi Jones.
Sophomore Danielle Spaulding, named last week's ACC Player of the Week, continued her hot hitting when she extended UNC's lead to 5-0 by unloading on a fifth-inning pitch and driving it deep over the center-field wall for a three-run blast.
The Tar Heels combined more crafty baserunning with timely hitting to beat across two final runs in their last set of at-bats.
Provided with a seven-run cushion, Norris had more than enough runs to gain her 10th win and 12th complete game on the young season.
Much of Norris' success on the mound Tuesday could be attributed to what Coach Donna J. Papa titled the "liberal" strike zone of plate umpire Eddie Walker.
"The umpire was giving me a lot on the sides of the plate, so I was working that," Norris said.
Spaulding, a pitcher herself, called Norris' efforts' simply "expected."
"I know she's going to get the job done whether she has two strikeouts or she has 16 strikeouts," Spaulding said.
With the win, their second against Elon, the Tar Heels improved to 28-6-1 on the season. They will be back in action at Anderson field today for a double-header against Longwood.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/18/08 5:00am)
North Carolina freshman Patience Coleman moved one step closer to her dreams of Olympic gold Saturday during UNC track and field's Chick-fil-A Invitational.
Coleman, who has said she aims for Olympic qualification by this summer, improved on her previous best of 1.78 meters with a high jump Saturday which measured in at 1.81 meters.
Though Coleman's jump fell just .04 meters short of an automatic NCAA qualification, it was good enough for a provisional qualification and won her first place by a margin of .13 meters.
According to USA track and field Olympic trials qualifying standards, Coleman will need to achieve a jump of 1.86 meters by June 15 to secure an opportunity in Beijing this summer.
Sophomore Donte Nall matched Coleman's feat on the men's side. With a high jump of 2.13 meters, Nall bested his closest competitor by .05 meters and came up a centimeter short of provisional qualification.
Freshman Walter Henning and senior Ian Reynolds turned in impressive shot put invitational performances for the Tar Heels, as well. Henning and Reynolds finished first and second among collegiate competition with throws of 16.7 meters and 15.61 meters, respectively.
The UNC women mirrored Henning and Reynolds' shot put accomplishments. Freshman Mary Angell scored a top throw of 14.97 meters, just ahead of sophomore teammate Kimberly Warren's 14.49-meter second-place toss. UNC sophomore Norjai Palma finished sixth in the event.
The Tar Heels also took home first in the 200-meter dash as junior Shardae Anderson finished in a time of 25.01 seconds.
Sophomore Vanneisha Ivy had a strong day in a number of short races. In addition to finishing third in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.71 seconds, Ivy was .04 seconds off the NCAA provisional mark in the 60-meter hurdles and finished second in the event.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/17/08 5:00am)
North Carolina freshman Patience Coleman moved one step closer to her dreams of Olympic gold Saturday during UNC track and field's Chick-fil-A Invitational.Coleman who has said she aims for Olympic qualification by this summer improved on her previous best of 1.78 meters with a high jump Saturday which measured in at 1.81 meters.Though Coleman's jump fell just .04 meters short of an automatic NCAA qualification it was good enough for a provisional qualification and won her first place by a margin of .13 meters.According to USA track and field Olympic trials qualifying standards Coleman will need to achieve a jump of 1.86 meters by June 15 to secure an opportunity in Beijing this summer.Sophomore Donte Nall matched Coleman's feat on the men's side. With a high jump of 2.13 meters Nall bested his closest competitor by .05 meters and came up a centimeter short of provisional qualification.Freshman Walter Henning and senior Ian Reynolds turned in impressive shot put invitational performances for the Tar Heels as well. Henning and Reynolds finished first and second among collegiate competition with throws of 16.7 meters and 15.61 meters respectively.The UNC women mirrored Henning and Reynolds' shot put accomplishments. Freshman Mary Angell scored a top throw of 14.97 meters just ahead of sophomore teammate Kimberly Warren's 14.49-meter second-place toss. UNC sophomore Norjai Palma finished sixth in the event.The Tar Heels also took home first in the 200-meter dash as junior Shardae Anderson finished in a time of 25.01 seconds. Sophomore Vanneisha Ivy had a strong day in a number of short races. In addition to finishing third in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.71 seconds Ivy was .04 seconds off the NCAA provisional mark in the 60-meter hurdles and finished second in the event.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
A year after leading the ACC in fielding, the UNC softball team came into 2008 looking to improve at the plate.
So far this season, North Carolina has succeeded beyond expectations and put up numbers unlike any in the team's history.
Offensively, the Tar Heels have managed astronomical production, breaking the school record for runs twice in the season's first weekend. Fueled by such offensive explosions, UNC now stands at 5-0 on the season.
Junior outfielders Emily Troup and Whitney Allen have led the Tar Heel offense with a combined three home runs and 16 RBIs.
(02/15/08 5:00am)
A year after leading the ACC in fielding the UNC softball team came into 2008 looking to improve at the plate.So far this season North Carolina has succeeded beyond expectations and put up numbers unlike any in the team's history.Offensively the Tar Heels have managed astronomical production breaking the school record for runs twice in the season's first weekend. Fueled by such offensive explosions UNC now stands at 5-0 on the season.Junior outfielders Emily Troup and Whitney Allen have led the Tar Heel offense with a combined three home runs and 16 RBIs.UNC coach Donna Papa attributed her team's improved run-scoring ability to an offensive focus in the off-season and of all things pitching.She said her batters are better prepared to face tough pitching this year because they see it in practice.Posting an ERA of 2.57 junior Lisa Norris has pitched two complete games for a dominant UNC staff.Of course even the Tar Heels' blazing bats and steady arms are no match for Mother Nature. The Tar Heels had to nix a set of road games against UNC-Wilmington on Wednesday because of rain.The Tar Heels' next test comes this weekend when they escape the weather for Gainesville Fla. and a matchup with No. 10 Florida.Though Papa expects an elevated level of competition from the Gators" she said her team will try not to prepare any differently.""We try to worry about ourselves more"" Papa said. We focus on what we need to do to win a game.""Lacrosse begins season""Excited"" is the word of the preseason for the North Carolina women's lacrosse team. UNC coach Jenny Levy said they're just ready to play.After weeks of practice and an exhibition tournament last weekend in Chapel Hill"" Levy said the girls are pumped for Loyola tonight.""We're excited about this year's team"" she said. Our defense is going to be great.""Since the exhibition games did not keep score"" Levy said the main thing the team is worried about is getting in the right competitive mind-set.""There will be a little bit of a mental change from preparation mode to competition mode"" she said.UNC played teams including Louisville and UVa. in the South of the Border Tournament at the Finley Fields practice complex in Chapel Hill.Despite the fact that there were no official scores, Levy said she was happy with the team's overall performance because she could see the preseason practices coming to fruition.Junior Amber Falcone is expected to be the defensive leader - a grueling task, considering that Levy believes UNC's defense will be the Tar Heels' biggest strength this year.But for tonight's game, the defense isn't at the forefront of Levy's mind.We need consistent play and to just put the ball in the back of the net"" she said.Wrestlers head northAfter coming off a strong win Feb. 8 against ACC rival N.C. State, the North Carolina wrestling team is looking forward to an action-packed weekend filled with similar success.UNC coach C.D. Mock said the decisive victory provided a big boost for the Tar Heels.It was a great win" particularly because State has such a strong following" Mock said. And they're also pretty hostile.""Indeed" no love was lost during the match with continued dominance from redshirt junior Keegan Mueller" who recorded his second pin of the season to keep a streak of 17 straight victories alive.""Mueller has been great - he's stepped up and demonstrated"" Mock said. He shows the huge difference between wrestling with confidence and without it. That's the hardest thing for coaches to teach.""UNC's toughness will be tested with a busy schedule this weekend" as the team faces Ohio tonight and No. 22 Pittsburgh on Saturday. To make matters worse UNC will face personnel shortages throughout both matches" with redshirt senior Drew Forshey sidelined until the ACC Championships with an ankle injury.""Against Ohio we'll be bringing up a true freshman at 125 (pounds) who's seen no college competition" Mock said. But Ohio we should beat" and we're capable of doing the same against Pitt.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/11/08 5:00am)
Ascending flawlessly over the lower bar with only the slightest hint of a push off, sophomore Christine Nguyen began her assault on the uneven bars.
Nguyen's overall performance Sunday against N.C. State mirrored her uneven bar routine, rocketing her leaps and bounds above the fellow competition.
For the second week in a row, Nguyen proved herself the strongest athlete in the gym, taking top honors in every event and capturing the all-around high score.
Following UNC's 195.450-194.975 victory, the team's second against NCSU this season and first in Carmichael Auditorium, coach Derek Galvin praised Nguyen for her natural gymnastics ability.
"I think she was really born to do this sport," Galvin said
Nguyen, named the EAGL Gymnast of the Week for her efforts in the Governor's Cup on Feb. 1, improved drastically in nearly every event this week.
In addition to her powerful 9.850 on vault and an equally impressive uneven bars score of 9.825, Nguyen made solid progress in her floor routine.
A week after placing 10th with a floor exercise score of 9.775, Nguyen tied for the top spot Sunday, scoring 9.850. The performance even warranted a fist pump from her head coach.
"I always set goals to improve from each week," Nguyen said. "I don't really come into a meet expecting anything. I just try to perform how I do in practice."
Ironically, the only event in which Nguyen didn't best her mark from last week was the balance beam - which many consider to be her strongest.
"Balance beam is an amazing event for her," said Galvin. "She is one of the most beautiful beam performers I have ever seen."
Coming off last week's 9.875 showing on the beam, Nguyen managed only a 9.85 Sunday. But her score still was good enough for first place by a margin of .025 points.
Senior Sarrie Rubin said she believes her team can take a lesson from Nguyen's beam exercises.
"She is so calm on beam," Rubin said. "She is such a good motivator."
Rubin also commended Nguyen for her work ethic in practice each day and said she considers the sophomore to be a leader by example.
As for the team as a whole, the UNC star knows there is still room for improvement.
And while she personally would like to improve on her floor routines, Nguyen said she has is motivated by the honor of being named gymnast of the week.
"It gives me a lot of hope for what will happen in the season to come," she said. "It just lets me know there is more that we can do."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(02/11/08 5:00am)
Ascending flawlessly over the lower bar with only the slightest hint of a push off sophomore Christine Nguyen began her assault on the uneven bars.Nguyen's overall performance Sunday against N.C. State mirrored her uneven bar routine rocketing her leaps and bounds above the fellow competition.For the second week in a row Nguyen proved herself the strongest athlete in the gym taking top honors in every event and capturing the all-around high score.Following UNC's 195.450-194.975 victory the team's second against NCSU this season and first in Carmichael Auditorium" coach Derek Galvin praised Nguyen for her natural gymnastics ability.""I think she was really born to do this sport"" Galvin saidNguyen, named the EAGL Gymnast of the Week for her efforts in the Governor's Cup on Feb. 1, improved drastically in nearly every event this week. In addition to her powerful 9.850 on vault and an equally impressive uneven bars score of 9.825, Nguyen made solid progress in her floor routine.A week after placing 10th with a floor exercise score of 9.775, Nguyen tied for the top spot Sunday, scoring 9.850. The performance even warranted a fist pump from her head coach.I always set goals to improve from each week"" Nguyen said. I don't really come into a meet expecting anything. I just try to perform how I do in practice."" Ironically"" the only event in which Nguyen didn't best her mark from last week was the balance beam - which many consider to be her strongest.""Balance beam is an amazing event for her"" said Galvin. She is one of the most beautiful beam performers I have ever seen."" Coming off last week's 9.875 showing on the beam"" Nguyen managed only a 9.85 Sunday. But her score still was good enough for first place by a margin of .025 points.Senior Sarrie Rubin said she believes her team can take a lesson from Nguyen's beam exercises.""She is so calm on beam"" Rubin said. She is such a good motivator.""Rubin also commended Nguyen for her work ethic in practice each day and said she considers the sophomore to be a leader by example.As for the team as a whole" the UNC star knows there is still room for improvement.And while she personally would like to improve on her floor routines" Nguyen said she has is motivated by the honor of being named gymnast of the week.""It gives me a lot of hope for what will happen in the season to come"" she said. It just lets me know there is more that we can do.""Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(01/14/08 5:00am)
The North Carolina Track and Field teams turned in strong performances Saturday in the Joe Hilton Tar Heel Invitational.
Athletes representing schools up and down the East Coast filled the Eddie Smith Field House to compete in the invitational meet.
The event, UNC's inaugural Track and Field meet of the season, featured a number of smaller schools across the Tar Heel state, with N.C. State serving as the lone other ACC rep.
UNC had a strong start to its season, garnering 12 first place finishes in 10 individual events, the women's 4 x 400-meter relay and the men's distance medley.
"The first meet of the year is always scary for me," said UNC head coach Dennis Craddock. "It's exciting even though I've done it for 40 years now. I still have the same excitement because I want to see how they compete."
Craddock's expectations for Saturday's meet were admittedly modest as none of the Tar Heels had experienced formal competition this year. Nonetheless, many of his athletes provided the effort and intensity their coach demands.
"I'm not looking for records," Craddock said. "I'm not looking for national qualifiers. I just want to see that fire in their eyes, and I saw that out of a lot of people today."
The Tar Heels paid special attention to the efforts presented by a number of their newest athletes.
"The freshmen are the ones you really worry about because you saw them in high school but you want to see if they're now ready to move to this new level," Craddock said.
As if they could sense their coach's anxiety, freshmen Latoya James, Charles Cox, Austin Davis and Walter Henning delivered first-place performances on the day.
James took the top spot in the women's 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.44 seconds. But her most impressive time came a bit earlier when she posted a preliminary time of 8.37 seconds - good enough for an NCAA provisional qualification.
On the men's side, Cox secured a first place in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.95 seconds. Cox also nearly captured a second event, falling just shy in the 400-meter to his twin brother Chris Cox, of St. Augustine, by a mere .01 seconds.
Davis nearly placed first in two events, as well. After taking first in the triple-jump with a mark of 15.04 meters, he came up .05 meters away from winning the long-jump crown.
Another Tar Heel delivered a winning effort in his UNC debut, as Henning won the shot put. The two-time Track and Field News Athlete of the Year yielded a 16.88 meter toss, just good enough to edge N.C. State's Jason Jones for top honors.
While Craddock was willing to praise individual achievements on the day, he reminded his team that they still have a long way to go this season.
"If I had to give them a grade I'd say we're in the 'B' range," he said. "We're nowhere close to 'A' yet."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/31/07 4:00am)
The North Carolina volleyball team rediscovered its winning touch Tuesday night in a sweep of visiting N.C. State at Carmichael Auditorium.
After two road losses this the weekend, including a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Georgia Tech, UNC (10-13, 6-8) was looking to bounce back against the rival Wolfpack (3-21, 0-14), a team the Tar Heels had bested in 18 consecutive matches entering Tuesday night.
Despite his team's recent success against N.C. State, coach Joe Sagula stressed to his Tar Heels the importance of not overlooking any opponent and respecting the rivalry.
"The team that is not winning a couple of matches is the really dangerous team," Sagula said.
Though UNC was able to cruise to a 30-17 victory in game one, the weight of Sagula's advice became evident in a much more difficult game two.
The Wolfpack jumped out to an early 7-2 lead, and even after staging a strong comeback the Tar Heels found the score tied at 29 late in the game. After an N.C. State service error, sophomore middle hitter Heather Brooks made a final kill to secure North Carolina's 31-29 win and a 2-0 match lead.
"Our unforced errors kept them in the game," Sagula said.
He also said that the Tar Heels' early struggles provided the Wolfpack with defensive confidence.
The Tar Heels appeared to return to the court with a newfound sense of urgency in game three. Rather than suffering another slow start like in game two, UNC exploded to a 17-3 lead to start the game.
Bolstered by the efforts Noelle Dyk, Christie Clark and Kelly Davies off the bench, UNC never looked back. The Tar Heels won game three by a 30-15 margin to complete the sweep.
Brooks and senior outside hitter Bekah Brinkley provided strong performances to aid the Tar Heels. Brinkley followed 29 combined kills during the weekend with an additional 14 Tuesday night while playing through a mild ankle sprain suffered in game one.
Brooks also chipped in eight kills on 15 attempts, and she led the team with a .467 attack percentage.
Brinkley said UNC's slow start in game two can be attributed to a lack of focus during the game's first five points.
"We need to serve tougher earlier and we didn't do that," she said.
But Brinkley's gutsy performances in the first two games gave her team some much-needed production, and Sagula had nothing but praise for the match's standout player.
"She's playing real great as a senior, and I'm real proud of what she's doing," he said. "We need that."
Clark, a senior middle hitter, provided the Tar Heels with a spark off the bench in game three. Beyond providing a well-deserved rest for Brooks, Clark chipped in with five kills on just seven attempts.
UNC faces four ACC opponents in a row at home during the next two weeks, starting with Boston College on Friday, as the team tries to improve its position in the conference standings.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/24/07 4:00am)
The North Carolina volleyball team concluded its first weekend of home conference play Saturday night with a disappointing loss to Clemson. It was a loss which in many ways mirrored the team's match the previous night against Georgia Tech. UNC was plagued with poor performances early in matches throughout the weekend, and despite inspired play in game 3 both nights, the Tar Heels lost each contest by a 3-1 score.
Coach Joe Sagula said he believes a large part of the team's early struggles can be traced back to a lack of emotional intensity. "We just start really sluggish," Sagula said. The team's inconsistent focus was exploited in Friday's game 1 against Georgia Tech - a match in which the Yellow Jackets led 10-2 at one point and went on to win 30-20.
Carolina made a similar showing the following night by dropping games 1 and 2 against the Clemson Tigers by scores of 30-23 and 30-19, respectively.
Their lack of concentration is most evident in the Tar Heels' difficulties offensively at the net.
"The biggest thing is we make a lot of unforced hitting errors early in the game," Sagula said. "It's giving the other team momentum."
Junior outside hitter Lauren Prussing had 15 kills in each match, but also totaled 21 hitting errors on the weekend. "There is nothing the other team is doing on their side of the net that we can't handle," Prussing said.
The Tar Heels did come out much stronger and more focused in the second halves this weekend. Following the lopsided result in game 1 against Georgia Tech and a much closer 31-29 loss in game 2, Carolina resiliently battled its way to a marathon 35-33 win in game three. "We can play with anybody in this conference," Sagula said in response to his team's effort in game 3.
Searching for another desperately needed game 3 victory Saturday, Sagula decided to make a few roster changes. He decided to revert back to a lineup the Tar Heels had used early this season while playing in a tournament at Purdue. A major aspect of the change was introducing sophomore Noelle Dyk to her first action of the season following an ACL injury. "We said, 'Let's just go back to what we've been doing well and focus on our side of the court'" Sagula said.
The changes worked as UNC played possibly its best game of the weekend and beat Clemson 30-27. Junior defensive specialist Brianna Eskola, who had 54 digs on the weekend, including 33 on Friday alone, thought the substitutions aided to stir up the team's chemistry and invoke a bit of much-needed intensity.
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(05/24/07 4:00am)
Entering Saturday's NCAA quarterfinal match in Charlottesville, Va., No. 6 North Carolina and No. 3 Virginia had split their two previous meetings. And though the Tar Heels (16-5) outshot the Cavaliers each time, both matches were ultimately decided in the face-off circle.
Saturday's game was no different. Despite UNC's slim 30-29 advantage in shots, Uva. (18-3) dominated draws 17-7 and earned a 14-8 win along with a trip to the NCAA semifinals.
"The game came down to controlling the ball off the draw," UNC coach Jenny Levy said Monday.
Admitting the Cavaliers make very few mistakes, Levy focused her team's strategy on winning face-offs and breaking Virginia's "predictable" offensive rhythm. Offensively, the Tar Heels were hoping to display patience and work for quality scoring opportunities.
These plans were foiled when Virginia jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and never looked back. UVa. gained a 7-1 advantage by halftime and was able to hold its lead in the second half against a Tar Heel attack which scored four consecutive second-period goals.
In addition to winning draws, Levy recognized UVa.'s victories in the offensive and defensive zones as the difference in the game.
"Their offense made some really nice plays off of some unsettled situations, and their goalie made a lot of really nice plays against us."
Second half dooms Tar Heels
Despite an early offensive explosion that saw the No. 8 seed UNC men's lacrosse team leading overall top-seeded Duke 5-1 after the first quarter, the veteran Blue Devils' surged back to secure a 19-11 victory and overpower the Tar Heels for a third and final time this season.
"It was a tale of two halves." said UNC coach John Haus on Sunday, during a press conference following his team's defeat in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals.
Face-offs played a big role in UNC's early dominance. Sophomore midfielder Shane Walterhoefer won 18 of 32 face-offs Sunday. With this performance, Walterhoefer reached 222 face-off wins and set a new team record, surpassing the previous mark of 219.
However, the Tar Heels' success did not hold past halftime. An 11-5 second-half turnover differential provided the Blue Devils with the possessions necessary to mount a comeback. Duke dominated shots in the second half 34-16 and held an overall 58-36 shooting edge for the game.
"We played entirely too much defense against an exceptional offensive team," Haus said.
Though it came to a frustrating end, the Tar Heels' season was anything but a letdown. The team finished 10-6; marking a five-game improvement over last year's 4-10 record. UNC had the third most improved record in the nation and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 2004.
In the midst of reacting to Sunday's loss, Haus was already anxiously awaiting next season.
"I am disappointed today, but I am very excited for next year. The Tar Heels will be back."
Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.