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Nov. 18, 2000
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The sixth-seeded Virginia volleyball team lost to second-seeded North Carolina 3-0 (15-6, 5-10, 15-10) in the semifinals of the ACC Championship on Saturday (November 18) at Reynolds Gym. It marks the third consecutive year that the Cavaliers have fallen in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. UVa concludes the 2000 campaign with a 16-15 record for its school-record fifth consecutive winning season. With the win, North Carolina improves to 25-7 and will play fifth-seeded Duke in the ACC Championship final tomorrow (November 19) at 3:30 p.m.
Virginia was led by fourth-year All-ACC middle Deanna Zwarich (Overland Park, Kan./Shawnee Mission North), who tallied 11 kills for her 28th consecutive double-figure kill match of the season. Zwarich, who set an ACC Championship record on Friday with 33 kills, concludes her brilliant career with 1,528 kills, including 575 this season. Both totals are school records. Fourth-year outside hitter Katie Jones (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood) led the Cavaliers in digs with 13 and finishes her outstanding career with 1,381 digs, which is third all-time at UVa. Jones also posted a pair of service aces in the match and is tied for fourth place all-time with 128. First-year setter Abby Whittenburg (Amarillo, Texas/Amarillo) tallied 35 assists and added seven digs in the match for the `Hoos. First-year outside hitter Paige Davis (Austin, Texas/Westlake), an All-ACC Rookie Team pick, and third-year utility player Jenny Harmon (Virginia Beach, Va./Salem) notched nine and eight kills, respectively, while Harmon also added nine digs.
Nicole Reis and Laura Greene led the Tar Heels to the win with 14 kills apiece. Reis also added 11 digs for a double-double, while Greene posted a .417 hitting percentage. Setter Eve Rackham recorded a double-double as well, with 46 assists and 11 digs.
North Carolina hit .344 in winning the first game 15-6. The Tar Heels clinched a trip to the finals with 15-10 victories in the second and third games. On the night, UNC hit .307, while the Cavaliers hit only .105. North Carolina also held a 54-43 advantage in digs.
The Cavaliers have now posted five-consecutive winning seasons under sixth-year head coach Melissa Aldrich Shelton. Included in the winning seasons are NCAA Tournament appearances in 1998 and 1999.
North Carolina 3, Virginia 0Game Scores 1 2 3 -- Final ScoreVirginia (16-15) 6 10 10 -- 0North Carolina (25-7) 15 15 15 -- 3Time of Match: 1:17Attendance: 623