Texas Volleyball Advances To NCAA Semifinals

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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – No. 2 Texas Volleyball (27-2) defeated No. 7 North Carolina (29-3), 3-1 (25-21, 18-25, 25-20, 31-29) on Saturday to advance to its third-straight NCAA Semifinal and sixth in the last seven years.

Seniors Haley Eckerman and Khat Bell led the Longhorns with 14 and 12 kills, respectively, both hitting .200 or better.

Junior Amy Neal posted her fourth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 15 digs.

Sophomore Chiaka Ogbogu also finished with double-digit kills with 10 and led the Longhorns in hitting percentage at .421.

Junior Molly McCage had a team-high seven blocks and Ogbogu added six, while freshman Cat McCoy finished with 11 digs.

Sophomores Nicole Dalton and Chloe Collins posted 27 and 23 assists, respectively.

As a team, Texas out-hit North Carolina, .272 to .225 and out-blocked the Tarheels, 13.0 to 10.0.

In the first set, Texas and North Carolina traded points with neither team leading by more than two, until the Longhorns created some separation and took a four-point lead at 10-6. The Tarheels were able to cut the deficit to within two at 11-9, but Texas went on a 4-1 run to take a five-point lead. UNC could not recover and the Longhorns took set one, 25-21.

It was all North Carolina in the second set as the Tarheels jumped out to a 5-0 lead to start and led the rest of the way. Texas cut the lead to within two on eight different occasions, but could not close the gap completely and UNC took set two, 25-18. UT hit .156 in the second set after hitting .235 in the first.

The third set was a different story, as the Longhorns took the lead early, winning the first three points and leading by as much as five, three different times. When Texas led, 17-12, the Tarheels executed a 4-0 run to pull within two. UT retaliated, but North Carolina stayed close until the Longhorns closed out the set on a 5-0 run, 25-20.

In the fourth set, Texas and North Carolina stayed even until the Longhorns went on a 4-0 run to lead, 15-11. The Tarheels did not fold and chipped away to tie the score at 19-19 and then took the lead at 23-21. They traded points until UNC had two set points at 24-22. Texas fought back to even the score at 24, but North Carolina had another chance at 25-24. The Longhorns evened the score once again and this time took a 26-25 lead on a Bell kill. Texas had five match points before putting the set and the match away 31-29.

The Longhorns will face BYU on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. CT in Oklahoma City, Okla.

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