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Virginia Volleyball Drops 3-1 Decision To North Carolina
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Nov. 12, 2002
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Virginia volleyball team had four players reach double figures in kills, but 12th-ranked North Carolina managed to post a 3-1 (30-27, 30-24, 25-30, 30-24) victory over the upset-minded Cavaliers Tuesday (November 12) at Carmichael Auditorium. With the loss, UVa falls to 7-24 overall and 1-14 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, while the Tar Heels improve to 26-2 overall and 13-1 in the ACC.
Virginia third-year outside hitter Paige Davis (Austin, Texas/Westlake) recorded her 11th double-double of the season with a match and season-high 18 kills. She rounded out the double-double by matching her season-high with 16 digs, and added four blocks and four assists. Third-year middle Shannon Boyle (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) hit a team-best .455 with 16 kills and just one error on 33 swings and also contributed five digs and a pair of blocks. The 16 kills is just one off her season and career high. Fourth-year middle Simona Kuipers (Bow Island, Alberta, Canada/Senator Gershaw) tallied 13 kills, while second-year middle Alexis Geocaris (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) rounded out UVa’s players in double figures in kills with 10. Geocaris hit .318 in the match and paced Virginia in blocks with a match-high tying five. Second-year setter Lily Phillips (Phoenix, Ariz./Horizon) established a new career-high in assists with a match best 59 and notched her eighth double-double of the season with 14 digs. Phillips also added six kills. Third-year libero Whitney Ashcraft (Yorktown, Ind./Burris) led a strong UVa defensive effort with a match-high 28 digs. The 28 digs are just one shy of her career high and also increased her season total to 450, which is the fourth highest single season total in school history. Ashcraft reached double figures in digs for the 26th time this season.
North Carolina’s Molly Pyles paced the Tar Heels with 14 kills and nine digs. Laura Greene recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs, while Aletha Green added 10 kills. Setter Eve Rackham dished out 54 assists and posted 12 digs for a double-double.
Virginia registered 70 kills in the match, which equals its season high set against the College of Charleston on September 6. UVa hit .230 in the match, while North Carolina posted a .258 team hitting percentage with 66 kills. The Cavaliers also set a new team season high in digs while holding an 83-76 advantage over UNC. Both squads registered eight team blocks in the match.
Virginia concludes regular season ACC play on Saturday, November 16 when it travels to Raleigh, N.C. for a 7:00 p.m. match against N.C. State.