UNC Spikers Rally In Dramatic Fashion; Edge SDSU, 3-2
The UNC volleyball team wanted to prove they could win a five-set match so they went out and did just that against the 7th-ranked team in the nation on Saturday night. One night after losing a hard-fought five-setter to the No. 2-ranked team in the country, UNC defeated South Dakota State, 3-2 (14-16, 13-15, 15-5, 15-3, 15-7), in the Campus Recreation Center.
The match mirrored Friday's match with No. 13-ranked UNC (15-4 overall, 5-1 NCC) coming close in games one and two but failing to shut the door and allowing the opponent to take the advantage.
South Dakota State (16-2 overall, 4-2 NCC) came out on fire in the first game and hit .231. UNC held a 13-12 lead before SDSU came storming back to score four of the final five points in game one. SDSU used that momentum to carry them to a game-two comeback as well. SDSU trailed in game two by the count of 11-5 before they began their assault. The Jackrabbits scored four straight points to trim the lead to two. The Jackrabbits allowed the Bears a point before running off the game's final four points and stealing a 15-13 win.
The Bears must have regrouped in the intermission because they came out like a house afire, by scoring game three's first four points and never looking back. UNC won game three, 15-5. The Bears continued their fine play into game four as they secured a 10-1 lead. UNC closed out the contest on a controversial net call, but the call stood and UNC had won game four, 15-3.
It then boiled down to a critical game five for the second successive night. The teams traded the first six points of the match and it stood at 3-3. However, UNC fed off the 435 frenzied Recreation Center fans and fired off seven of the next eight points to take a 10-4 lead. With the crowd going wild UNC finished off the Jackrabbits on a kill by Rachelle Forster and a Jackrabbit attack error.
Freshman Erin Deffenbaugh led the Bears attack with 21 kills and 20 digs. Senior Tia Self showed her senior leadership by firing down 17 kills and pulling up 16 digs. Forster's play at the net was a key for the Bears and she tallied nine blocks and 14 kills. Sophomore Teale Goble had 17 kills for the Bears as well. Freshman Linnea Kiilsgaard guided the Bears offense and finished with 65 kills.
UNC won the match at the net with four players earning five kills or more (Forster-9, Kiilsgaard-6, Goble-5, Kara Brady-5).
The Bears will hit the road next weekend with a single match at Nebraska-Omaha. UNO was ranked No. 3 in the latest AVCA poll. The match in Omaha will be at 5 p.m. (Mountain time) on Saturday.
