University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
5-1
North Carolina
6-1
Gophers Defeat No. 11 North Carolina in Four
9/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Tickets on Sale for the Diet Coke Classic
The No. 5 University of Minnesota volleyball team earned a four-set win over No. 11 North Carolina, tonight, in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Golden Gophers (4-1 overall) won 25-11, 25-12, lost the third, 22-25, and won the fourth, 25-21. Minnesota won both matches during the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, while Wisconsin and North Carolina went 1-1 and Louisville went 0-2.
As a team, Minnesota hit .333, had 51 digs and 14.5 blocks, as UNC hit .180, had 51 kills, 47 digs and 9.5 blocks. Individually, Alexis Hart had a career-best 17 kills and hit .333, followed by Hannah Tapp with 15 (hit .417). Sarah Wilhite had a double double (10 kills, 13 digs), while Paige Tapp had nine kills for a .500 efficiency. H Tapp and Molly Lohman each had seven blocks. Samantha Seliger-Swenson had 53 assists and Dalianliz Rosado had a team high 15 digs. Hart and H Tapp were both named to the all-tournament team.
Minnesota opens the home season next weekend as it hosts the annual Diet Coke Classic. The Gophers welcome North Dakota, Toledo and Green Bay to the Sports Pavilion, Sept. 16-17. Minnesota plays North Dakota Friday night at 7 p.m., Toledo at 10 a.m. Saturday and Green Bay 7 p.m. Saturday night.
Set Breakdown
Set 1: Minnesota opened the match with a commanding 25-11 first set win. The Gophers hit .440 as a team and had four blocks, while they held UNC to a -.040, seven kills and eight attack errors. The Gophers opened the first set with a 6-1 lead, as North Carolina took its first timeout. Minnesota then went on a 4-0 run, capped off by a block from Wilhite/H Tapp and a Wilhite kill. After another Wilhite kill, UNC called its second timeout of the set at 16-7. A UNC attack error put the Gophers lead to 11 at 21-10. Minnesota finished off the set with a kill by Hart, a UNC attack error, another kill by Hart and a solo block by P Tapp for a 1-0 lead.
Set 2: The Gophers earned a 25-12 second set win as they hit .455 and did not commit an attack error in 33 swings. Similar to the first set, Minnesota jumped out to a 7-1 lead as Hart delivered a kill. Minnesota pushed the score to 12-5 when after a H Tapp kill that forced UNC to call its first timeout of the set. Minnesota, however, came out of the break and collected another block by H Tapp and Lohman to go up, 13-5. Minnesota went up 17-6 off a Wilhite ace, followed by a Hart/Lohman block and another Wilhite ace for a 19-6 lead. UNC called its second timeout of the set as it resulted in back-to-back Tar Heel points. But, the Gophers finished off the set with three kills from Hart and the deciding point off a Wilhite kill for a 2-0 lead.
Set 3: The Tar Heels hit .375 in the third to Minnesota's .176 to take a 25-22 set win. UNC responded out of the break and jumped out to a 7-3 lead as Minnesota called its first timeout of the match. Minnesota came out of the timeout with a 4-2 run as Wilhite/HTapp delivered a block to cut the UNC lead to one. Minnesota again cut the lead to one at 13-12, but UNC came right back with a small run for a 15-12 advantage. The Gophers tied up the set with a Hart kill, a P Tapp kill and a UNC attack error. Tied at 15, Minnesota and UNC went through another three ties before the Tar Heels took a 21-20 lead as Minnesota called its second timeout. However, the Tar Heels finished off the set a block for set point and a kill to cut Minnesota's lead to 2-1.
Set 4: Minnesota finished off the match with a come-from-behind 25-21 win. The set was tied nine times, but had just two lead changes. UNC opened the fourth set with a 6-2 lead, but Minnesota came back to tie the set at 8-8 off a P Tapp/Wilhite block. After UNC went up, Minnesota again tied it at 13-13 before UNC went up two. Minnesota again tied the set with a Katie Schau ace. After the 15-15 tie, the two teams tied again at 16 and 17 before Minnesota strung together three-straight for a 20-17 lead after a H Tapp/Seliger-Swenson block and two UNC attack errors. After a UNC kill, Minnesota pushed the score to 22-18 off a H Tapp and Wilhite kill. H Tapp added two kills for match point, while Hart and Lohman put the match away with a block.
