The Old Dominion was very kind to the UNC volleyball team this week. Two days after earning a road win over Virginia Tech, the Tar Heels went up to Charlottesville, VA, and completed a dominant sweep over Virginia. It’s also a measure of revenge for Carolina, who lost at home to the Cavaliers earlier this season.

The win pushes the Tar Heels over the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 2016 season, when the team finished 29-4. That was also the last season in which Carolina competed in the NCAA Tournament.

UNC took control early in the first set, dropping the first two points but then winning the next five. A 6-1 run in the middle of the frame turned a 17-14 lead into a 23-15 advantage, before kills from Amanda Phegley and Mabrey Shaffmaster closed out the set victory.

Carolina had to fight back from a deficit in the second set, as the Cavaliers came out strong to lead 9-7. UNC then completely flipped the script by ripping off a 10-2 extended run, powered by kills from Shaffmaster and Kaya Merkler. Virginia had no answer for the run, and the Tar Heels used the momentum to finish off the second set by a 25-17 margin.

The third was no contest: Carolina won the first five points and never looked back in a dominant effort. Shaffmaster and Phegley once again spearheaded the offensive attack, earning kills on nine of UNC’s 25 points in the set. Shaffmaster put in a service ace to give the Tar Heels match point, and then it was Merkler who finished the job with her eighth kill of the match. Carolina won the third set 25-11 to earn its 12th sweep of the season.

“I’m very proud of the team today,” head coach Joe Sagula said after the match. “I really liked their focus and energy. We really needed to come out and play our style of volleyball. It was also one of our best serving matches of the year. We had a very balanced attack.”

Carolina served seven aces on the afternoon, including four from sophomore Olivia Diaz. Shaffmaster led the Tar Heels with 14 kills, while no one on Virginia had more than eight. The Tar Heels have only two matches left in the regular season, the first of which will be Senior Day in Carmichael Arena. Carolina will host a Miami side which took a five-set thriller from the Tar Heels earlier this season.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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