CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — It was all but easy, but the Florida State volleyball team (10-5, 2-2) used a dominating fifth set to defeat North Carolina (9-6, 1-3) 3-2 (25-17, 25-27, 25-22, 24-26, 15-5) Sunday afternoon at Carmichal Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Noles have now won three-straight matches against the Tar Heels dating back to the 2021 spring season.
“I am so proud of our players today. We’ve been struggling with injuries, and it has caused some chaos. I was so proud of the players who came off the bench today and made a great impact. We were a completely different team than we were on Friday, but it’s a good win and we will keep working,” Head Coach Chris Poole said.
The Noles dominated set one with a 25-17 victory. The Noles hit .500 in the set and pulled away after the Tar Heels took an early lead.
The Tar Heels jumped out all over the Seminoles taking a 20-12 lead, but the Seminoles then went on a 9-1 run behind the serving of Emma Clothier to tie the set at 21. The two teams traded points, but UNC would come out on top to even the match.
The Noles took complete control in the third set as middle blockers Emily Ryan and Khori Louis began to flex their muscle. FSU took an 18-12 lead and defended a fierce rally from UNC to take the set 25-22.
FSU had their chance to end the match in set four reaching set point at 24-23, but UNC used a 3-0 run to send the match into a fifth set.
It was all Seminoles in set five as they jumped all over the Tar Heels. The Noles led 8-3 then scored the final six points to take the match.
THAT'S HOW YOU END IT‼️#OneTribe pic.twitter.com/bg9ElJOiEG
— FSU Volleyball (@FSU_Volleyball) October 2, 2022
It was a huge day for both Louis and Ryan at the net. The duo each tallied 12 kills and combined for 16 blocks. Ryan hit .500 while Louis hit .348. Audrey Koenig led the way for the Noles with 15 kills on 28 attempts. Andjelija Draskovic tallied 36 assists while Melanie Cuervo saw her first action of the year at setter and recorded 17 assists.
FSU will have a quick turnaround with a huge match against rival Miami on Wednesday night inside Tully Gym. First serve is set for 8 p.m. and can be seen live on the ACC Network.
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