The Virginia volleyball team fell in straight sets against North Carolina Friday night at Carmichael Arena, but the Cavaliers recovered quickly, dispatching North Carolina State by the same margin Saturday night in Raleigh. Coach Dennis Hohenshelt’s team now sits two games back of Florida State and Louisville and a single game behind the Tar Heels in the ACC standings.
Virginia (12-5, 4-2 ACC) traveled to Chapel Hill, N.C. to face off with North Carolina (8-7, 5-1 ACC), a team against which the Cavaliers have lost 11 times in a row with their last win in the series in 2008. The Cavaliers — already the breakers of a 17-match losing streak against Duke — played the Tar Heels close in the first set, seizing a 21-17 lead on a kill from junior outside hitter Haley Kole.
But North Carolina fought back, taking control of the proceedings with a 7-0 run and claiming the set shortly thereafter. The Tar Heels captured the second and third sets 25-20 and 25-19, respectively, to deal Virginia its 45th loss in 59 meetings between the programs.
The Cavaliers posted their own straight-sets win Saturday night against the Wolfpack (12-6, 1-5 ACC), holding NC State to a .144 hitting percentage while piling up 39 digs. Junior defensive specialists Karlie Suber and Lexi Riccolo combined for 17 digs, and seniors middle hitter Natalie Bausback and setter Lauren Fuller added 15 more.
Freshman middle hitter Anna Walsh paced Virginia with 14 kills against the Wolfpack, and Kole tallied 13. Walsh — already a three-time ACC Freshman of the Week honoree — now has 173 kills on a .364 attack percentage this season.
Virginia plays Boston College Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The Cavaliers will then face Syracuse Sunday at 1 p.m.
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