John Dougherty

Sports

Softball shuts down State

By John Dougherty | April 21

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.

Sports

Seniors stand out in final home meet

By John Dougherty | April 14

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.'"

Sports

Norris throws one-hitter, strikes out 16 in victory

By John Dougherty | March 26

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.

Sports

Tar Heels prove better, faster, stronger at Chick-fil-A Invitational

By John Dougherty | February 18

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.

Sports

North Carolina squads set for full weekend slate

By John Dougherty | February 15

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.

Sports

Nguyen shines in UNC victory

By John Dougherty | February 11

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.

Sports

Tar heel track and field team opens season with success

By John Dougherty | January 14

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.

Sports

Volleyball rebounds against Wolfpack

By John Dougherty | October 31

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.

Sports

UNC drops two to ACC opponents

By John Dougherty | September 24

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.

Sports

Virginia knocks UNC out of NCAAs

By John Dougherty | May 24

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.