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(03/04/10 5:18am)
As the sun set on Rams Head Plaza on Wednesday, students wandering into its recreation center were met on the other side of the gym’s glass doors by the sights and sounds of March madness.The squeaks of shoes, the shouts of men and the rhythmic thuds of the basketballs echoed against every corner of the gym’s beige brick walls.Ten teams fought for five intramural basketball league championships, all but the women’s competitive league. That game was postponed because several graduate students participating were on break.At the end of the day, one team stood above the rest. On the same court that its players met and came together as a team, Kill Krew topped its opponent SWISH, 47-41, to capture the men’s competitive title — again.The victory marked the second time Kill Krew’s players won T-shirts together in the men’s competitive league, captain Jamaal Pitt said. Additionally, The team has emerged victorious twice from Prime Time basketball, a league offered by Campus Recreation that requires an entry fee.As players have graduated, the team has changed, but Pitt said his priority is to have a team that is fun to play on, rather than just putting together a team that can win.This winter, Kill Krew played only three games to get into the championship because of a cancellation and a forfeiture. But the team put more than 70 points on the scoreboard in each of those games, winning by an average of 32 points.But Wednesday’s game was different. SWISH had won all five of its games going into the final.“Both teams knew that they could beat each other,” Pitt said.SWISH jumped to an early lead, clamping Kill Krew on defense. The game went back and forth until halftime, at which point Kill Krew led, 23-21.“Across the board, they were good at every single position,” junior Dan Bolick said, comparing SWISH to his previous opponents. “And they were more physical.”But at the start of the second half, Bolick hit three buckets in the first three minutes to push the lead to six, and Kill Krew never looked back.“I felt like I was in the groove early in the second half,” Bolick said.
(11/09/09 4:23am)
Sunday was Senior Day for North Carolina volleyball, featuring a pregame ceremony to honor the four-player class of 2010.The two most decorated seniors are middle blockers Heather Brooks and Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland. Both were named to the 2008 All-ACC second team and picked for the 2009 preseason All-ACC team.Although the two teammates now sport very similar credentials, each took a very different path to get there.Brooks had an immediate impact when she joined the Tar Heels in 2006. She was a regular as a freshman, and in her next season, she recorded 1.42 blocks per set, the third-highest average in school history.A four-year starter, Brooks has logged 444 career blocks and 782 career kills.“She’s an incredible player,” classmate Megan Owens said. “Her work ethic, her performance, motivates everyone around her, and when she’s on, we’re all on.”Hanson-Tuntland had no such impact in her first year with UNC. She redshirted in 2005 because of injury. The next two years she saw significant playing time, but not at middle blocker. She was used as a right-side hitter. “It wasn’t until last year we said, ‘Know what, full time you’re in the middle,’ — because of her block presence,” coach Joe Sagula said. “She was such a good blocker, and her lateral movement was so strong.”Now in her second year as a middle blocker, Hanson-Tuntland has exploded offensively, registering 261 kills to go along with 75 blocks this season. That production has brought her career totals to 763 kills and 305 blocks. The Tar Heels are also graduating two outside hitters, including starter Branagan Fuller. Fuller played only one season for UNC after transferring from UNC-Greensboro, but in that season, she is one of only two Tar Heels, along with junior Suzanne Haydel, to rank in the top five on the team in kills, digs and service aces.“I wish I had an opportunity to have coached her four years,” Sagula said. “She’s just a delight to have in the program.”The other outside hitter is Owens, who faced a difficult path to her senior season. Sagula said she had issues with her back before the start of her freshman season, but she still played in 78 sets in that season. An ankle sprain the next year limited her to 59 sets.Owen’s roughest year was last year, when she developed a problem in her shoulder that would limit her to 20 sets and require surgery the following spring.Owens said Brooks, her best friend, helped her through those challenges.“She has kept my head on straight for four years,” Owens said. “Through my career, I’ve had a lot of injuries, and she’s been a solid backbone for me. She’s kept me levelheaded.”But Owens spent this year getting back to form to contribute to the Tar Heels, and that culminated in the senior day match. She registered 13 kills in 27 attempts with only one attack error — good for a game-high .444 hitting percentage and more kills than she’s gotten in a match since her freshman year.“Just so happy for a player like her, especially at the very end she had a couple of tears in her eyes, and you get that when you realize all the hard work into all the rehab you put into it,” Sagula said. “And hopefully we’ll get a couple more smiles out of her at the next five matches we have to play this year, as well.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(11/02/09 4:55am)
North Carolina volleyball coach Joe Sagula took a seat in the stands of an emptying Smith Center, tightening his lips and shaking his head. He was trying to come away with something positive from the match he had just coached.UNC fell to Clemson in five sets Saturday, 25-13, 23-25, 25-19, 20-25, 11-15. The loss dropped the Tar Heels to a tie for fifth place in the ACC as the Tigers passed them in the standings.“I’m kind of at a loss for words on this one,” Sagula said. “This is a sad loss for us, and for me, reason is, it takes us out of the ACC race.”UNC (11-12, 7-5 ACC) also lost its match Friday against Georgia Tech, 25-19, 20-25, 22-25, 18-25.“With five losses in conference, we’ve got to win a lot more matches,” Sagula said. “We’ve only got eight to go. And even if we win all eight matches right now, I don’t think that’s going to be enough for an NCAA tournament berth.”The weekend started on a high note as the Tar Heels beat the Yellow Jackets in the first set. Senior outside hitter Branagan Fuller dominated with eight kills in that set. At this point, it seemed as though UNC could beat and overtake the No. 3 team in the ACC standings.But when Ga. Tech took the court again after the first break, the Yellow Jackets made an adjustment to Fuller’s attack. The Yellow Jackets anticipated sets to Fuller more easily and were able to contain her to 10 kills in the final three sets.“In the second game, I saw a bigger block, and they shifted more out to the line,” Fuller said. “And I just didn’t make the adjustment that I needed to make.”Immediately after Friday’s loss, Sagula spent 20 minutes talking to his team in an attempt to prepare them against Clemson the next day.Early in Saturday’s match, Sagula’s talk seemed to have done the trick. The Tar Heels’ serve receive was especially sharp in the first set, allowing it to win 84 percent of points served by the Tigers.UNC went on to lose in a close second set but won the third by following the same formula they used in the first set. In both sets, early streaks of points on sophomore libero Kaylie Gibson’s serve gave the Tar Heels an early advantage. “I felt really confident with my serve, so it took them out of system and gave us an easy ball to deal with, and we got the points,” Gibson said. “So I just kept going on a run.”UNC had a chance to put the match away in the fourth set. But the team’s passing broke down late in the final two sets, Sagula said.“When we’re down, you have to be confident in serve receive and be ready to pass the ball, or it’s not going to go exactly where you want it to,” Gibson said.After the loss, Sagula said his team needs to learn how to finish off matches. “When things are going well, or when things are tight, who’s going to make a good play?” Sagula said. “Who’s going to step up? We didn’t have that happen.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/19/09 3:58am)
It took the better part of a season, but North Carolina volleyball has figured out its identity.This weekend, the Tar Heels won their two toughest conference matches to date and reestablished themselves as title contenders. Now they know where they stand in the ACC and who their starters are.“It’s a statement to ourselves to say OK, we beat Duke at our place, and we’re that good,” coach Joe Sagula said. “And we can be that good when we put it together.”By defeating Duke on Friday and Wake Forest on Sunday, UNC improved to 6-2 in the ACC. While the Tar Heels are still No. 4 in the conference standings, they cut the distance between them and second place to half of a game.A big reason for UNC’s recent success has been the newly established player rotation.After experimenting with different lineups and rotations throughout the first half of the season, Sagula has used similar starting lineups in the past three matches.After freshman hitters saw plenty of playing time earlier in the season, now all of the starters at hitting positions are upperclassmen, with the exception of redshirt sophomore right-side hitter Courtney Johnston.“People are starting to know their role on the team, which I think was a little blurry at first,” Johnston said.The player who established herself as the one to get the ball to those hitters is freshman setter Cora Harms. Sagula said she came on strong during the season, not having any pressure to lead the team.Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland said it has helped to have a more consistent lineup playing around her.“When we change things up in the game, people just — I don’t know if they freak out, but it’s more comforting to know that we have a consistent lineup,” Hanson-Tuntland said.Perhaps the biggest improvement for the Tar Heels has been on defense.After sophomore Kaylie Gibson established herself as the team’s libero, Sagula had her play middle back instead of left back. Middle back is a deeper position, allowing Gibson to use her quickness to get to softly balls hit to either deep corner of the court.Also stepping up defensively for UNC have been sophomore Aleksandra Georgieva and freshman Cayla Shortley. Their ability to come up with digs has been key to the Tar Heels’ recent victories.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/16/09 5:18am)
(10/05/09 3:49am)
Senior middle blocker Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland returned to action against Boston College on Friday after sitting out Thursday because of a team policy infraction.After missing a match, Hanson-Tuntland did her best to make up for it, tying a career high with 17 kills. With just three errors on 28 attacks, she had a .500 hitting percentage.Sagula said that Hanson-Tuntland had “some things to take care of” and that it was an internal policy that kept her off the court against Maryland the previous night. She said she could not comment on why she didn’t play.Hanson-Tuntland said standing on the sidelines Thursday gave her motivation to be a presence on the court Friday.“I had to really mentally prepare myself to do great today, so I was already in mental focus to be just prepared for tonight and just ball out,” Hanson-Tuntland said.The play of Hanson-Tuntland and fellow senior middle blocker Heather Brooks helped stave off an upset bid by the Eagles. Late in the game, freshman setter Cora Harms fed the two veterans the ball when the Tar Heels needed points.“Ingrid was on fire, just a major horse out there,” coach Joe Sagula said.Brooks said it felt weird having Hanson-Tuntland on the bench.“She brings a lot of energy to the court and a lot of enthusiasm, and I think without her on the court, it was a little different,” Brooks said.Hanson-Tutland’s 17 kills were topped only by Brooks’ 18, a new career high for her.The two middles have remarkably similar statistics this season. Brooks has logged 137 kills and 41 blocks while Hanson-Tuntland has put up 134 kills and 39 blocks.Both players were selected to the preseason All-ACC Team. Hanson-Tuntland said having another top middle blocker on the team pushes her to be better.“I don’t know if she knows this, but I secretly — I do try to compete with her,” Hanson-Tuntland said. “You always want to be the better middle. You always want to have the most kills, the most blocks.”Brooks said she didn’t feel the same competition but appreciated having an experienced teammate in Hanson-Tuntland.“I don’t think I’ve ever actually looked at it like that,” Brooks said. “We tend to help each other in timeouts if we see something open.” Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(10/02/09 4:45am)
Junior outside hitter Suzanne Haydel is once again a primary weapon for the North Carolina volleyball team after struggling to earn playing time early in the season.North Carolina trailed Maryland 20-23 in the second set Thursday after dropping the first set. But three kills and an assisted block by Haydel led UNC to a 27-25 comeback.“We found a go-to player tonight in Sue Haydel,” coach Joe Sagula said.Haydel’s production saved the Tar Heels from what could have been a devastating loss to the Terrapins as UNC went on to win the match in four games: 21-25, 27-25, 25-17 and 25-17.Haydel recorded 21 kills and showed remarkable efficiency, making only two errors in 50 attacks.“Sue’s maturing and seeing the game better,” Sagula said.The Tar Heels haven’t lost at home to the Terrapins, who were 2-18 in conference play last year, since 1997.After starting in 30 of the team’s 33 matches last season, Haydel recorded only 57 kills in the first nine matches this fall. Newcomers Branagan Fuller and Emily McGee began to earn more playing time during those early games.Haydel acknowledged that it was frustrating to watch the action from the sidelines.“I’m one of the upperclassmen. I really want to lead my team to a victory,” she said.But Haydel has come on since UNC’s home tournament, recording 53 kills in the four matches since.The Tar Heels struggled to put the ball away early in the match Thursday. Sagula said the Terrapins were playing deep defensively and not allowing many kills.“They were digging balls left and right,” Haydel said.UNC adjusted their offensive game plan in the second set, tipping more often instead of swinging away. The Tar Heels found holes in Maryland’s defense shallow in the court.UNC took the momentum from their second-game comeback into the third game.“Sitting in the locker room, we all just looked at each other knowing we were going to get this done on our home court,” Haydel said.The Terrapins came out after the break playing more shallow on defense, and the Tar Heel outside hitters made them pay.UNC won the third and fourth sets by identical scores to improve to 2-1 in conference play.“Once we had them moving up, we were just unstoppable,” Haydel said.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/14/09 4:33am)
In an otherwise disappointing weekend for North Carolina volleyball, the Tar Heels had a triumphant Friday, rallying from a two-set deficit to defeat Tennessee.The match was particularly meaningful to sophomore setter Erica Behm, who tallied career highs in digs and assists.Behm had struggled with passing in the first two weekends of the season, averaging 1.26 digs per set.“Defensively, I haven’t been 100 percent this year,” Behm said.The struggles peaked in practice Tuesday when Behm had a rough day on defense.After practice, she told coach Joe Sagula she felt like he was on her case after almost every play. The two talked for about 20 minutes as Sagula lined out what he wanted from her.“She’s got the physical capability to be a really good defensive player, but I think at times she just isn’t watching the game well enough,” Sagula said.Sagula told Behm that if she wanted to play on the starting team, she would have to hear the things that she could do better.Behm needed to work on planting her feet when anticipating attacks and making an effort to go after all balls hit within her range.The chat did the trick. Sagula missed Wednesday’s practice for recruiting, but he said his staff told him that Behm stepped up her game.“I think she was more determined and realized that she’s got to be more focused,” Sagula said.Behm said talking with Sagula motivated her to play at a higher level. “Having that talk really kind of buckles you down and just clears everything out of your head,” Behm said.Behm’s performance in practice was good enough to retain the starting role at setter, and it continued into the match against Tennessee. Her defense was an important part of UNC’s comeback. She made plays on some balls that went by her in practice that week, and the result was 15 digs, a career high.“I’m proud of how she improved in that way — real, real proud,” Sagula said.Behm also played one of her finest matches offensively, manifested in the score sheet as a career-high 59 assists. Her sets late in the game were consistently on the mark, paving the way for big kills by her hitters.The last three points the Tar Heels scored were kills by senior Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland, freshman Heather Henry and again by Hanson-Tuntland — and all three times, it was Behm who set up the spike.“I have confidence in all of my hitters, especially those two, to put the ball away. So if we’re in a tight game, I have 100 percent confidence going in there,” Behm said.“These are the crowds that I live for. I love performing in front of everybody.”Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(09/13/09 3:13am)
North Carolina women's volleyball failed to get into a rhythm againstColorado State in the final match of the Carolina Volleyball Classic,falling 20-25, 16-25, 22-25. The victory gave the Rams the tournamenttitle.All-Tournament selection Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland contributed nine killsand three blocks, including two solo blocks, bringing her three-matchtotal to 29 kills and nine blocks.UNC could not stop the Rams' hitters, who killed 43.8 percent of setsby CSU's Evan Sanders.The result is a familiar one for the Tar Heels, who were defeated inthree straight games when they traveled to CSU last year.
(09/12/09 3:03pm)
(09/11/09 2:20am)
Dry-erase markers squeaked across a whiteboard in the Smith Center as the North Carolina volleyball team prepared for its first home match of the season. Managers were tracking the action on the court, counting kills, errors and attempts by UNC hitters. When coach Joe Sagula brought the practice to a halt, the results were tabulated, and it wasn’t one of UNC’s leaders in kills that came out on top. Senior outside hitter Megan Owens won the contest with two kills in seven attempts. Three other outside hitters have more kills on the season than Owens, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t battling for one of the two starting spots at that position. “So today I won the drill,” Owens said. “Tomorrow my goal is again to win the drill. My goal every day is to be the hardest worker and to be the one pushing myself the hardest.”Two weeks into the season, Owens is one of 10 Tar Heel hitters who have already seen action, and they’re all competing to be on the court in the next match.Senior middle blocker Heather Brooks said every position has multiple players competing for playing time.“Having them behind you or out there in front of you and on the court playing really pushes you in your position,” Brooks said.Sagula doesn’t name starters but puts the first team on the court every day of practice. That team changes during practice as players are swapped, giving everyone a chance to compete. “It’s a day-by-day, week-by-week situation,” Owens said. “No spot is set in stone and everybody has an opportunity to always win a starting spot.” Sagula and his coaching staff are hoping that the competitive drive will propel the team to a repeat as ACC champions. The Tar Heels are carrying an 18-player roster this season, up from 16 players a year ago. Owens said she feels the need to push herself because of the depth. “If you have a bad day, there are five other people at my position, anyway, who are having better days,” Owens said. A big reason for the expanded roster is a five-player freshman class. Four of those freshmen have already played this season.“They’re going after it,” Sagula said of the freshmen. “They’re challenging our veterans and all in a really healthy way.”Tonight will be an indicator of the team’s chances of repeating as ACC champions when UNC takes on Tennessee, a team that received votes in the latest national poll.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(08/25/09 4:28am)
The North Carolina volleyball team’s offense has a new weapon in its arsenal.Senior outside hitter Branagan Fuller transferred to the program earlier this month and can make a difference.“I think she’s going to compete for a starting position,” coach Joe Sagula said.Sagula said that while there are no guarantees, from what he and the coaching staff have seen from Fuller in practice, she can play at the ACC level.“She’s a solid player, great passer, very dynamic hitter,” Sagula said.Fuller played three seasons at UNC-Greensboro before coach Shawn Garus left the program in June, accepting the head coaching position at Boise State.It was then that Fuller decided to seek a transfer. After deciding not to follow Garus to Boise State, she began to look around at other schools where she could finish her college career. She e-mailed Sagula and told him that she was transferring and getting her release. “(Sagula) had to see my release from UNC-G, and then he called me and asked me if I wanted to come up on a visit,” Fuller said.Sagula said that it was a pleasant surprise to add another outside hitter to the team that he wasn’t counting on and that Fuller brings a new dimension to the team with her talent and three years of experience.Fuller joins the Tar Heels after a standout career with the Spartans. The California native led UNC-G with 396 kills and was second on the team with 344 digs.But that pales in comparison to Fuller’s sophomore season, when she recorded a school-record 543 kills and was also second on the team with 384 digs.Fuller also logged 321 kills her freshman season, just one short of how many UNC’s Lauren Prussing led the team with last season.That was in the Southern Conference against smaller schools than Fuller will face while a Tar Heel, so only time will tell how her skills will translate in this new conference. But Sagula said the Southern Conference is competitive and expressed confidence in Fuller’s ability to make the transition.Fuller’s performance earned her N.C. Collegiate Sports Information Association all-state honors in her sophomore and junior seasons.So far, the transfer has worked out well for Fuller and the Tar Heels. She is gradually becoming part of the team.“It’s coming along,” Fuller said. “I do definitely feel like I’m part of the team and have a spot, but that all comes with time more and more, so I’m working my way in.”Senior Heather Brooks said she was pleased to have Fuller on the team.“(Fuller is) here to work, and that’s what we need,” Brooks said. Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.
(08/25/09 4:27am)
The 2008 North Carolina volleyball squad shocked the ACC by winning 10 of their final 11 regular-season matches to earn a share of the conference title.This year, the Tar Heels have similar aspirations, with four seniors leading the title defense.There’s Heather Brooks, who teammates have pointed out as a vocal leader at practice. The middle blocker was a 2008 second-team All-ACC selection and a 2009 preseason All-ACC choice.Touting the same hardware as Brooks is Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland. She returns after finishing second in the conference in blocks per set.There’s Megan Owens, who looks to bounce back after an injury-plagued 2008.And now there’s Branagan Fuller, the transfer from UNC-Greensboro. She set the school record for kills in a single season her sophomore year as a Spartan.Coach Joe Sagula said the team has more depth than last year’s.“It’s not just one or two. We’ve got three players at each position, which makes it very competitive,” Sagula said.Sagula added that the team’s depth makes the level of play in practice higher.“We realized that we’ve got a lot of players that can play,” Sagula said.The Tar Heels are replacing a senior class that featured All-ACC performers at libero and outside hitter.UNC has a replacement at libero in sophomore Kaylie Gibson, who played defensive specialist last season, subbing in for an outside hitter in the back row.Sagula said Gibson used last season and the spring to solidify herself at libero.The Tar Heels have two senior options for a new outside hitter in Owens and Fuller, and returning starter Sue Haydel will pick up some of the slack.UNC will face a difficult nonconference schedule, something Sagula aims for every season. This year the early schedule includes No. 12 Southern California, No. 18 Wichita State and No. 24 Colorado State, as well as three other teams that received votes in the preseason coaches poll.The Tar Heels will have to be prepared for the difficult early schedule, and Brooks is positive about the team’s work.“I like it,” Brooks said. “I like what’s happening. It’s been a lot of fun so far. We’ve shown a lot of progress, and I’m really excited.”The Tar Heels face the challenge of playing two more games on the road than they do at home.Every year, each ACC team plays 10 conference teams twice and two teams once. This year, UNC gets one match each against Flordia State and Miami, picked by coaches to finish second and third in the conference, respectively.Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.