Carolina won two matches in the span of four days against rival Duke this week, beating the Blue Devils first in Chapel Hill and then in Durham to stay unbeaten in conference play this season.
In Wednesday’s match at Carmichael Arena, strong performances from Safi Hampton and Hailey Pearce propelled the Tar Heels to a three-set sweep. That duo provided a late spark in a tight first set, accounting for three of UNC’s final four points to win a tight first set, 25-20. After the Blue Devils closed to within 21-19, two kills from Pearce, a service ace from Zoe Behrendt and a kill from Hampton on set point put the Tar Heels up 1-0 in the match.
UNC had more breathing room in the second, jumping out to a 12-5 lead and cruising from there to a 25-15 win. Pearce once again paced the Tar Heels down the stretch, hammering home the winning point to put Carolina in the driver’s seat.
UNC controlled the third set as well, winning five of the first six points and using a late 6-1 run to put away any hopes of a Duke rally. Lauren Schutter sealed the victory on match point with what was only her second kill of the night.
Saturday in Durham saw the Tar Heels win in another sweep. Carolina was dominant in a 25-14 opening set, winning eight of the first 11 points and never relinquishing the lead. Hampton slammed down one of her team-high 16 kills on the day to seal the opening set win.
In the second set, a 6-0 Tar Heel run late in the frame gave UNC a 24-14 cushion and 10 set points. An attacking error by the Blue Devils gave Carolina a 25-17 win, putting the Tar Heels on the brink of a sweep.
The third set was the most competitive of the day by far, as Duke won three consecutive points to turn what had been a 20-18 UNC lead into a 21-20 edge for the Blue Devils. But kills from Hampton, Pearce and Jackie Taylor turned the momentum around again and slingshot the Tar Heels back into the lead. Chelsea Thorpe gave UNC triple match point at 24-21, but Duke staved defeat off twice to cut the lead to 24-23. Hampton and Taylor clinched the win with a block on the third match point.
With the two wins, UNC is now 11-2 overall this season and 4-0 in ACC play, having won five straight matches. The Tar Heels will now hit the road for four straight matches away from Chapel Hill, with the first coming at Clemson Friday, October 10 at 6 p.m.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Dalton T. Wainscott
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