Sept. 27, 2009

Box Score

ATLANTA, Ga. - The University of North Carolina volleyball team lost its first conference match Sunday to Georgia Tech 25-22, 25-20 and 25-17. The Tar Heels fall to 5-8 on the year and 1-1 in league play as the Yellow Jackets improve to 9-4 and 3-0 in league play. The Heels were led by Heather Brooks and Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland's nine kills. The Heels were plagued by five service errors as Georgia Tech hit at a .321 clip for the match.

In the opening set, Branagan Fuller got the Heels on the board early with three quick kills. The Yellow Jackets pushed in front 11-7 behind a serve ace and Monique Mead kills. Georgia Tech continued to stretch their lead before the Heels cut it to one at 17-16 after a Kaylie Gibson ace forcing a Yellow Jacket timeout. Georgia Tech proved to be too much in the first winning the set 25-22. The Yellow Jackets hit at a .267 clip in set one compared to the Heels .160 hitting percentage. Ingrid Hanson-Tuntland notched four kills and zero errors in the first set.

The Yellow Jackets continued their strong play in the second frame jumping out to a 5-2 lead early. The Heels fought back as Heather Brooks got into the act with a pair of kills to tie the score at six. A Fuller and Hanson-Tuntland block gave the Heels their first lead of the set at 8-7. The Jackets responded with a 5-0 run to push in front 14-12 forcing a Carolina timeout. A pair of Yellow Jackets blocks stretched their lead to 22-18 before the Jackets took the second set 25-20 behind a .303 hitting percentage.

The third set had much of the same feel as the first two as Georgia Tech stormed out to a 9-5 lead before a Carolina timeout. The Yellow Jackets kept pouring on the pressure mounting their biggest lead of the match at 20-12. The Yellow Jackets took the set 25-17 and match 3-0.

Carolina is now 28-21 all-time against Georgia Tech and 4-6 in the last 10 meetings. The last meeting between the two teams was Oct. 26, 2008 when the Heels defeated the Yellow Jackets 3-1 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Carolina will play its league home opener next Thursday against Maryland.