It was an invisible brawl, a street fight smothered by a tangle of helmeted, padded bodies. No one in Kenan Stadium -- not even the players on the field -- knew what was going on at the bottom of the pile at midfield. But when North Carolina cornerback Kevin Knight emerged from the fray with the football, UNC coach John Bunting and the rest of his Tar Heels could finally breathe a deep sigh of relief.
It was just a simple note, a shout out to his basketball buddies and fans, alike. But now, Julius Peppers' name is once again on the lips of North Carolina basketball diehards across the country. During "Midnight with the Tar Heels" Friday, UNC coach Matt Doherty read a letter that Peppers wrote. "Even though I can't be here with you now," Peppers wrote, "maybe our paths will cross again sometime." The message seemingly contradicted Peppers' comments in football's preseason, when he said he likely would not play basketball this winter.
He was on his way to finishing a performance he could brag about. And then, Andr
In between rain showers and fouls, North Carolina's women's soccer team squeaked by Wake Forest to claim sole possession of first place in the ACC. More than 1,800 people, most hidden under umbrellas and raincoats, watched UNC defeat the Demon Deacons 1-0 at Fetzer Field in a game littered with missed finishes and bad decisions. The win, coupled with Friday's 4-1 beating of Florida State (9-4 overall, 3-1 in the ACC), gave UNC coach Anson Dorrance his 499th career victory.
GREENSBORO -- North Carolina's stifling defense took charge, but it was the surprisingly potent offense that made its weekend victories impressive. And it took just a couple of quick adjustments to achieve it, as the UNC men's soccer team claimed a 5-0 victory against No. 18 South Florida on Sunday. The game was part of the Adidas/Spartan Classic at UNC-Greensboro. In their first game Friday, the No. 9 Tar Heels (10-2, 2-1 in the ACC) defeated Georgia State 7-0. In the Friday win against the Panthers, Elmar Bolowich recorded his 150th victory as UNC coach.
Oh, Matt Doherty, you know how to work a room. Doherty made his first entrance at "Midnight with the Tar Heels," after ESPN's Stuart Scott, acting as the emcee for Friday night's festivities, coaxed Doherty's 3-point shooting opponent into taunting "Are you scared?" across the floor of Carmichael Auditorium. Clearly, Doherty wasn't intimidated by the taunt and made his entrance like a politician, smiling and waving. Although the name of Friday's event had been changed from last year's "Midnight with Matt," it was still Matt Doherty's show.
DURHAM -- The second round of the Duke Golf Classic was suspended due to inclement weather and is scheduled to be completed on Monday morning along with the third and final round. The North Carolina golfers found themselves in 15th position, 20 strokes off the lead, after shooting a team total 310. Leading UNC is Jeremy Elliott who is tied for 21st place after scoring a 3-over-par 75. The tournament is lead by Virginia Tech in team standings at 293. The Duke Golf Classic is being played at the par 72, 7,045 Duke Golf Club. Flanagan Leads UNC to Victory
GREENSBORO -- After losing most of its leading scorers to graduation, the North Carolina men's soccer team entered the 2001 season with looming offensive questions. A group of raw, talented freshmen have answered those questions. "We know we can do the job, so we're just trying to score the goals we need," said freshman forward Marcus Storey. At the the Adidas/Spartan Classic on Friday, Storey notched a hat trick against Georgia State in a 7-0 victory, raising his season marks to seven goals (two of which were game-winning) and four assists.
After a 2-0 loss to Wake Forest on Oct. 6, North Carolina coach Karen Shelton decided to tweak her lineup again. Shelton's moved her freshmen starters all over the field, tinkered with her defensive line and finally changed from three forwards, three midfielders and four backs to four forwards, three middies and three backs. And thus far, the move's paying off. Sunday, seven different Tar Heels scored goals to lead the team to a 8-0 defeat of Radford. Saturday, UNC's 4-3-3 helped the Tar Heels top Virginia 4-1.
The North Carolina volleyball team looks to extend its 11-game winning streak Friday night when it hosts the Kansas Jayhawks at 9 p.m. in Carmichael Auditorium. The match will be part of the "Midnight With The Tar Heels" festivities and will precede the men's basketball team's first practice of the season at midnight.
Game and time: Virginia at North Carolina. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. Records: Virginia is 3-2, 2-1 in the ACC. North Carolina is 3-3, 2-1. Series: North Carolina leads, 55-46-4. Personnel: Virginia -- LB Rich Bedesem (knee injury) is out for the season; RB Antwoine Womack (ankle injury) is out for the season. North Carolina -- SS DeFonte Coleman (dislocated left shoulder) is out; FB Richard Moore (sprained MCL) is probable; C Adam Metts (left shoulder strain) is probable; DT Will Chapman (stress reaction in right fibula) is questionable.
RALEIGH -- North Carolina sophomore outside hitter Nicole Reis recorded 19 kills and had a .469 hitting percentage as the UNC volleyball team defeated N.C. State 3-0 (30-12, 30-20, 30-22) Wednesday night at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh to remain atop the ACC standings. The win is the Tar Heels' 11th consecutive victory and moves their record to 15-3 overall, 8-0 in ACC action. With the loss, the Wolfpack fall to 5-10, 1-7 in the ACC.
Just when it looked like the North Carolina volleyball team was down and out, Nicole Reis picked up her teammates and carried them to victory. The Tar Heels, losing 8-1 in the decisive fifth game against Florida State on Friday night, were on the verge of losing their first ACC match. But Reis had other ideas. After the sophomore outside hitter brought UNC closer with a couple strong kills, Reis made a diving dig on a shot by Seminole middle hitter Norisha Campbell. Reis then won the point with an emphatic kill just outside the 10-foot line to cut FSU's lead to three.
Kory Bailey's self-esteem balloon shrank while his frustration grew. Following his team's loss at Texas earlier this season, Bailey and the rest of North Carolina's wide receivers felt the heat when UNC coach John Bunting ripped the group for its lack of consistency. All too often, the Tar Heels' wideouts couldn't find seams in their opponents' defenses.
Staff Writer Duke seems to feel at home in Chapel Hill. The Blue Devils women's golf team won its fifth consecutive Franklin Street Trust Tar Heel Invitational with a 17-stroke victory on Sunday at Finley Golf Course. "We keep thinking we're going to wear out our welcome here," Duke coach Dan Brooks said, smiling, as his team accepted the championship trophy. North Carolina edged Vanderbilt by two strokes and finished second in the only tournament the team will play in Chapel Hill this season.
SportSaturday Editor Maybe it was the heightened tension created by the renewal of a rivalry 20 years on hold, but it seemed like everything that transpired in North Carolina's football game Saturday was soaked in incredulity. The Tar Heels overcame their early overanxiousness, slowed the Pirates' offense and effectively employed their two-QB scheme -- albeit with a dash of intrigue -- to prolong a season that is becoming increasingly hard to believe. UNC's 24-21 win in front of 58,500 at Kenan Stadium defied rationality, encapsulating the Tar Heels' season perfectly
WINSTON-SALEM -- With two minutes remaining and North Carolina trailing Wake Forest 2-0, midfielder Meredith Keller set up for a penalty stroke. But when Keller pushed the diagonal shot, Wake Forest goalkeeper Katie Ridd promptly denied her flick.
It was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
One of the most overused cliches in the sports world is that through defeat, a team can learn to win. With two victories this weekend, the North Carolina volleyball team proved that coming dangerously close to losing can be just as beneficial. Friday night, Florida State pushed the Tar Heels to the limit. After losing the first two games to UNC, the Seminoles rallied to win the next two, setting the stage for a decisive fifth game. In game five, FSU took an 8-1 lead and UNC's first loss in nine matches seemed inevitable.
Senior Writer WILMINGTON -- North Carolina's all-time shot-blocking leader didn't leave his comfort zone in Chapel Hill until he had to. Brendan Haywood, who graduated in May, attended the University's Fall Fest in August. The day before Labor Day, Haywood finally departed his former home at Kensington Trace off Weaver Dairy Road. In a trash can in the parking lot, he left behind a pair of old tennis shoes to go lace 'em up for the NBA. "I threw out a lot of stuff," Haywood said.
The perfect gift for the UNC fan in your life. Celebrate UNC basketball's years of success with "A Century of Champions," a keepsake poster from The Daily Tar Heel and 1893 Brand Studio.
