October 8, 2004

Box Score

North Carolina Box Score

 

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Virginia Tech volleyball team fell in four games,19-30, 33-31, 17-30, 21-30, to North Carolina on the Hokies first-ever road Atlantic Coast Conference match Friday evening at the Carmichael Auditorium in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Hokies fall to 8-8 overall, 3-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while the Tar Heels improve to 10-7 overall, 5-1 in the ACC.

The Hokies were led by senior Annie Spicer (Barrington, Ill.) who had a team-high 21 kills and added 17 digs for the match.

Also in double figures was sophomore Katie Esbrook (Barrington, Ill.) with 15 kills on 31 attempts with only two service errors for a team-high .419 hitting percentage.

Junior setter Melissa Markowski (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) led the Hokies 55 assists in the match and added 16 digs for the match.

In Game 1, the Tar Heels took an early 2-8 lead before head coach Greg Smith called a timeout. The Tar Heels would not lose momentum however and score after the break on a kill by Amy Beaver and then gain a 7-16 advantage forcing the Hokies to burn their last timeout.

Despite the 8-20 score, the Hokies would rally for each point, and go on a 4-0 run to make the score 16-25, but were unable to close the gap falling 19-30 to start the match.

It was the first time in 10 games, and nearly three matches, that the Hokies were held below 20 points. Tech lost Game 1, 18-30, to Miami on Sept. 26.

Tech hit .119 at the net compared to the .351 hitting percentage of the Tar Heels. Tech also gave up two service aces to the Heels and committed three service errors, while UNC had only two service errors and didn't relinquish a service ace in the game.

Game 2 was a different story, as Tech seemed to relax and returned to the stingy style of defense that helped them win their first three ACC contests.

The Hokies opened a slim margin, 3-2, and traded blows with the Tar Heels before the battle turned in the Hokies' favor. Tech would go on a 5-1 run to make the score 10-7 and force North Carolina's first timeout of the match.

Tech would lean on the home team, pushing the lead to five and the score 14-9 to make UNC take their final time out of Game 2. North Carolina would battle back and take advantage of five Hokie errors to tie the score 15-15.

The Hokies would use a 3-1 run to take another slim lead, 19-16, but the Heels would come back and to tie the match at 24 points and take control of the match on a 3-0 run to lead 24-26.

Tech would come back and tie the score at 29-29 and then silence the North Carolina crowd with a 33-31 extra-points victory to tie the match 1-1.

The Hokies would improve statistically in Game 2 hitting .298 on the attack, compared to North Carolina, who carried a .120 hitting percentage out of second stanza.

Game 3 started off mostly light blue and white, who took and early lead using a 5-2 run to start the match. The Hokies battled back and tied the score at nine points each but started a slugging rally sparked by three Kupec kills and ended with the Tar Heels ahead 16-18.

After a Hokie timeout, the Tar Heels took advantage of the lead and went on a 11-0 run to take a 16-27 lead. The lead and loss of momentum would be too much for the Hokies, falling, 17-30.

During their final run, North Carolina scored nine out of 14 points off Hokie errors. The 17 point total was the lowest score for the Hokies in six matches and 23 games that were not a Game 5.

Game 4 was all Tar Heels who took an early 5-1 lead from the start and opened their advantage to 12 points and the score 10-22 off a 6-1 point run that featured kills from three different UNC attackers.

Tech would pull to within nine points and the score 13-22, but would be unable to stop the Tar Heel attack and fall 21-30.

For the match the Hokies hit .176 compared to the Tar Heels' .243 hitting percentage and committed 11 serving errors to UNC's five.

The Hokies will now head to Raleigh, N.C. to face the Wolfpack of N.C. State Oct. 9 in a 7 p.m. showdown at the Reynolds Coliseum Saturday.