Sports - The Daily Tar Heel

Volleyball Continues ACC Streak

Oct. 9, 2000

The North Carolina volleyball team remained unbeaten in the ACC by picking up two more conference victories during the weekend. UNC went on the road to defeat Maryland on Friday and Virginia on Saturday. The Tar Heels (16-3, 6-0 in the ACC) nearly saw their streak of conference perfection end against the Cavaliers. UNC dropped the first two sets before rallying to win the final two to take the match 4-15, 15-17, 15-6, 15-12, 15-11. Freshman Nicole Reis recorded a season-high 29 kills and also added 16 digs. Two other Tar Heels also posted double digits in kills.

Tar Heel Offense Punishes Radford

By Rachel Carter | Oct. 9, 2000

Amy Tran must have been bored out of her mind. North Carolina's sophomore goalkeeper didn't see a whole lot of action in the UNC field hockey team's 10-0 rout of Radford on Sunday at Henry Stadium. Although she did kick the ball once, Tran wasn't even credited with a save. It took more than 10 minutes for the ball to even come close to Tran in the first half - the UNC defenders passed to each other while setting up their plan of attack.

Tar Heels Take Lead On Devils

Oct. 4, 2000

North Carolina has taken an early lead in the Carlyle Cup against arch-rival Duke. Sparked by early-season victories in field hockey, women's soccer and men's soccer, the Tar Heels lead the race 9-0 after about six weeks of competition. UNC's early lead is not a surprise because the school normally has stronger athletic teams than Duke in the fall semester. However, the UNC men's soccer team's victory against Duke was an upset. The Tar Heels had not scored a goal against the Blue Devils in four years before beating them 4-2 Sunday in Durham.

Schwoy Happy to Return to UNC Lineup

By Matt Terry | Oct. 4, 2000

After helping lead the North Carolina women's soccer team to three straight national title games, Laurie Schwoy received all of the accolades a player of her stature deserves. But Schwoy, a three-time All-American, a finalist in 1997 for the Hermann Trophy and the 12th-leading scorer in the storied Tar Heel history, sat out the 1999 season due to surgeries on both hamstrings. Friday, Schwoy made her long-anticipated return to Fetzer Field in an ACC contest with archrival Duke, and none of her awards, superlatives or national titles held as much importance as they once did.

3 Tar Heels Earn Weekly Awards

By Staff Editor | Oct. 3, 2000

Three athletes from North Carolina earned ACC honors for their performances last week. Senior Kristen McCann was named ACC player of the week in field hockey for the second time this season. McCann scored game-winning goals in victories against Wake Forest and Duke. Also for the second time this season, freshman Shalane Flanagan was named ACC performer of the week in cross country. Flanagan won this weekend's UNC Challenge at Finley Golf Course for her third first-place finish in as many races. Sophomore forward Susan Bush earned the same award in women's soccer.

UNC Must Stop Foes on 3rd Down

By James Giza | Oct. 3, 2000

The North Carolina defense had one more third down - one final chance to make a stop and redeem itself. Georgia Tech, leading Saturday's game 35-28, was facing third-and-one from its own 47-yard line with just more than two minutes left in the contest. The Tar Heels stacked the line with a stunt formation, but when Tech quarterback George Godsey handed off to Joe Burns, all the tailback saw was daylight. Burns' 51-yard scamper set up his 2-yard score on the next play, giving the Jackets a 42-28 lead with 1:55 left in the game. Not exactly what the the Tar Heels were looking for.

Field Hockey Adds Firepower

By Tim Solic | Oct. 3, 2000

DURHAM -- The North Carolina field hockey team is scoring more goals this season. A lot more. Notoriously a defensive-minded team, it has a new-found explosiveness on the other side of the ball. The Tar Heels have already scored 36 goals in 11 games (3.27 goals per game) this season, while they could manage only 57 in 22 games (2.59 goals per game) all of last season. UNC has already exceeded three goals on five occasions this season. The team was able to score three goals Saturday against a Wake Forest defense that had allowed only six in its previous nine games.

Cross Country Finds Strength in Numbers

By Curt Kendall | Oct. 3, 2000

The casual observer probably thinks of Saturday's UNC Challenge as a contest for individual glory. North Carolina's cross country runners don't see it that way. Team unity and the ability to help one another contribute to the two Tar Heel victories at Finley Golf Course came first. "When you are running with your teammates, their energy is your energy, and your energy is their energy," said Beth George, who placed fourth.

Cross Country Teams Enjoy 1st Taste of Victory

By Kelly Lusk | Oct. 2, 2000

The taste of victory is sweet, and North Carolina's men and women's cross country teams were thirsty. The UNC Challenge at Finley Golf Course on Saturday gave the Tar Heels their first drink of success. The UNC men and women both claimed first place against Virginia Commonwealth and UNC-Charlotte. Before Saturday's race, a first place finish had escaped both teams. The UNC women (20 points) dominated their race, placing seven in the top 10. Freshman Shalane Flanagan won for the third week in a row.

Curtis Fails to Escape Claws of UNC's Leitch

By Ian Gordon | Oct. 2, 2000

DURHAM -- North Carolina defender Chris Leitch could sense the lead pass coming from Duke midfielder Adam Guren. With UNC leading 2-1 late in the second half, Leitch knew he'd have to beat Blue Devil Ali Curtis to the ball to prevent the 1999 Hermann Trophy winner from scoring and tying the game. After all, that was his job. He did it well, keeping Curtis from getting possession. Leitch limited Curtis to just one shot in UNC's 4-2 victory at Koskinen Stadium.

Tech Endures Big Plays, Burns UNC

Oct. 2, 2000

It was a game of big plays, and the North Carolina football team was responsible for many of them. Too many of them, in fact. The Tar Heels were spectacular in the deep passing game, as quarterback Ronald Curry completed four passes of 50 yards or more, but bad special-teams play and some poor decisions by Curry in the red zone hurt them in a 42-28 loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday. The numbers on the scoreboard failed to mimic those of the stat sheet. The Tar Heels outgained the Yellow Jackets 477 to 372, but somehow it wasn't enough.

Tar Heels Record 2 ACC Wins

By Brad Broders | Oct. 2, 2000

DURHAM - Just when North Carolina's field hockey team had broken through a lingering obstacle, the Tar Heels were struck with an unexpected variable. The letdown. The fifth-ranked Tar Heels, after snapping their three-game losing streak to Wake Forest with a 3-2 victory on Saturday, came out with an uninspired 2-1 win against Duke on Sunday. "I wished we would have played with a little more aggressiveness and confidence," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "I thought we played flat. It is to Duke's credit - they were aggressive and beat us to balls." Against the No.

Special Teams Errors Sabotage Tar Heels' Efforts

By Mike Ogle | Oct. 2, 2000

Georgia Tech knew it was coming. The Yellow Jackets recognized North Carolina's punt protection weaknesses on film. They expected to block a punt Saturday at Kenan Stadium. They weren't disappointed. "It's been there all week," said Tech's Chris Young. "That's what we practiced because the tackle was a little slow coming off the ball. "He came off, I saw it was open, the first protector picked up Kerry (Watkins) on the outside, and that just brought me free.

Volleyball Comes Back To Defeat Florida State

By Staff Repots | Oct. 2, 2000

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The North Carolina volleyball team remained undefeated in the ACC with a 3-2 (15-9, 2-15, 6-15, 15-9, 15-13) victory on the road against Florida State on Sunday. UNC is 4-0 in league play and 14-2 overall after the win. Three UNC players registered double-digit kills, led by Casey Simpson's 16. Lisa Fryer tallied a team-high 11 digs, and Eve Rackham posted 51 assists. North Carolina continues its road trip with non-conference action against No. 12 Florida on Wednesday.

Bush Steps to Forefront in UNC Victory

By Matt Terry | Oct. 2, 2000

The North Carolina women's soccer team seems to have a different player step to the forefront every week. Last weekend, Meredith Florance scored three times in two games to lead the No. 4 Tar Heels to wins against William & Mary and Texas Christian. Friday, sophomore forward Susan Bush recorded her first career hat trick in a 6-1 UNC rout of 14th-ranked Duke (8-2, 2-1 in the ACC) in front of a season-high 4,355 fans at Fetzer Field. Florance, the Tar Heels' leading scorer, notched her 13th and 14th goals of the season.

Men's Soccer Defeats Duke for 1st Time Since '96

By Ronald Hoffman | Oct. 2, 2000

DURHAM - The North Carolina men's soccer team had not scored a single goal against Duke in three years. That all changed Sunday when the No. 12 Tar Heels exploded for four goals en route to a 4-2 upset against the No. 5 Blue Devils (5-4, 2-1 in the ACC) at Koskinen Stadium. After trailing 1-0 at halftime, UNC (8-2, 2-1) attacked with a newfound enthusiasm, putting the ball past Duke goalkeeper Jeff Haywood four times. "Coach (Elmar Bolowich) told us at halftime to keep our heads up," North Carolina midfielder Eddie Robinson said. "He said that we were playing better and outshooting them.