No. 25 Carolina kept rolling in ACC play Friday night, sweeping Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. by scores of 25-11, 25-18, and 25-16 to stay unbeaten at 5-0 in the conference.
The Tar Heels never let the Hokies settle in. Carolina spread the offense around all night, with nine players recording at least one kill and 12 different Tar Heels picking up at least one point. Laynie Smith paced the team with eight kills, while five Carolina players finished with more kills than Virginia Tech’s top scorer.
The opener was all Tar Heels. Carolina finished the first set on a 13-1 burst, a stretch that put the frame out of reach and helped UNC hit .345 while holding Virginia Tech to -.161.
The second set was closer, but the result never really changed. Virginia Tech grabbed the first point and that was its only lead of the frame. Carolina answered with a 6-1 start and controlled the rest of the set, keeping the Hokies from finding any rhythm and posting an 83 percent sideout percentage on the way to a 25-18 win.
The third set followed the same script. Virginia Tech again opened with a 1-0 edge, then Carolina took over after the early tie at 3-3.
The Tar Heels went on a 4-0 run to create separation, then stretched the lead with a 7-2 surge to make it 15-9. Later, a 6-0 run at 16-13 pushed UNC to 22-13, and a block from Mackenzie Boyer and Meghan Clifford finished it off.
Lauren Schutter matched her career high with six kills, and Jackie Taylor led Carolina with three blocks.
In Other News...
UNC Faces A Defining Final Road Test Before Coming Home
Carolina field hockey is nearing the end of a three-week road trip, and the last stop away from home brings a useful measuring stick before the team heads back to Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels will see Saint Josephs first, then No. 17 Liberty, with the trip giving them one more chance to sharpen things after a recent 3-0 win over No. 16 Louisville showed how dangerous they can look against ranked opposition.
The timing matters because these final road games also fold into a stretch that has already featured familiar history and a chance to stack results before the schedule turns again. Carolina has leaned on players like Charly Bruder, whose career scoring total has become part of the teams offensive backbone, and now the question is whether that balance can carry over one more weekend before the Tar Heels finally come home. [Read more 🡒]
UNC May Have Found A Passing Weapon Defenses Cant Ignore
Jelani Thurmans first month at North Carolina has given the Tar Heels something they can build on in the passing game. After arriving from Ohio State this season, the tight end has quickly settled in as a steady presence for quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., averaging four catches per game through four games and already topping his career receiving yardage from his time with the Buckeyes.
For a North Carolina offense looking for reliable options, Thurmans early chemistry with Edwards has stood out. He has become the kind of consistent target defenses have to account for, and his role gives the Tar Heels a flexible weapon at tight end as they keep sorting out where the passing game can gain the most traction. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Freshman Sayon Keita Is Forcing His Way Into A Bigger Role
Sayon Keita did not arrive in Chapel Hill with much time to settle in, but the 7-foot freshman center has already made himself hard to ignore. The Mali native came over from FC Barcelonas system in Spain shortly before the semester started, then quickly began showing the kind of size and skill package that can change a frontcourt conversation for North Carolina.
Michael Malone has been encouraged enough by Keitas transition to a new country and a new college game to believe he can push for meaningful minutes right away. Keita reclassified to join the Tar Heels this season after committing on April 28, and the only real question now is how quickly his game translates once the competition for playing time tightens. [Read more 🡒]