Sept. 21, 2004

Box Score

Durham, N.C. - The University of North Carolina volleyball team defeated Duke Tuesday night in four games, 26-30, 30-23, 30-25, 30-20, and head coach Joe Sagula picked up the 500th win of his collegiate coaching career. Dani Nyenhuis led the Tar Heels (6-6, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) with 20 kills and 17 digs, while Molly Pyles added 16 kills and 24 digs. Caroline deRoeck added 18 digs. With the victory, Carolina secures at least half of the one point allotted to volleyball in the Carlyle Cup, the annual all-sport competition between UNC and Duke. The Tar Heels will have the chance to take the full point when the two teams meet in Chapel Hill on October 29.

Duke (9-3, 0-1 ACC) took the early advantage in game one, and managed to hold the lead for the majority of the game. Carolina finally tied the score at 20, and the teams traded points until a five point Blue Devil run made it 28-23. The Tar Heels would get no closer than four, and Duke took the game, 30-26.

The home standing Blue Devils controlled the run of play in the early stages of game two, jumping out to a quick 10-5 lead. Sophomore Amy Beaver then stepped behind the line to serve, and Carolina ran off five straight to even the score. The teams would go back and forth until a Katie Wright-led rally gave the Tar Heels a 16-13 lead. The Atlanta senior did the serving for Carolina during the run and added a pair of big kills. UNC vastly improved its hitting in the second frame, outhitting Duke .388 to .239 after hitting a sub-par .191 in game one. The Blue Devils got to within two at 23-21, but Carolina won seven of the game's last nine points to even the match at one game apiece, 30-23.

Game three was marred by sloppy play on both sides of the net, as it was beyond the halfway point in the game before either team was hitting for a positive percentage. Despite the errant swings, Carolina held the early advantage, and a Pyles kill after a DU timeout gave UNC a five-point lead at 19-14. Duke then began a furious run that would see the Blue Devils score nine of the next 13 points to tie the game at 23-all and force a Tar Heel timeout. But Carolina responded, as Pyles would serve six consecutive points, and UNC eventually took the game, 30-25.

The start of the fourth game was delayed for nearly ten minutes when a fire alarm began to sound in Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. When play finally resumed, Carolina picked up right where it had left off. After trading points with the Blue Devils to start off, Nyenhuis stepped behind the line and proceeded to serve 12 straight points, giving Carolina a 19-6 lead it would not relinquish. Duke was unable to effectively pass Nyenhuis' deep serves and the Tar Heels took advantage of the numerous free balls that resulted. A Pyles kill secured the game for UNC, 30-20, and ended the match, three games to one.

When the match ended, the small but vocal Carolina contingent in attendance displayed signs that read "500" to commemorate Sagula's accomplishment.

The Tar Heels will continue their ACC road trip this weekend, as they take on Georgia Tech Friday night in Atlanta and Clemson Saturday night at Jervey Gymnasium.