GREENSBORO, N.C. – The fans went wild as the UNC Greensboro volleyball team defeated the Norfolk State Spartans, 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23), in its home opener on Friday night and gave head coach
Corey Carlin his 120th career win.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
- Norfolk State started off hot, taking a 5-2 lead over the UNCG Spartans. The first Spartan point came from outside Hitter Kayla White.
- UNCG fought their way and tied at 10 after back-to-back service aces from Jenna Wiggs.
- Â A five-point run by the Blue and Gold would solidify the first set. Junior Grey Breen would give the Spartans a 1-0 lead in the match.
- UNCG had to fight back from a six-point deficit in the second set.
- A service ace from Valeria Calderon put the Spartans within one, 15-14. The momentum wasn't enough. UNCG fell to Norfolk State to tie the match, 1-1.
- The third set was a battle that included eight ties.
- Jocelyn Carter tied the set at 18 a piece on a kill from Gabriela McHugh.
- Carter's kill started a four-point run for the Blue and Gold to give them the upper hand on the set.
- Grey Breen ended the set and gave the Spartans a 2-1 lead on the match.
- A seven-point run midway through the final set gave UNCG the momentum they needed to fight through.
- Norfolk State made a comeback, and the last eight points were the most exciting. A service error from NSU would end the set and give UNCG their first official win on home court this season.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Three Spartans registered double-digit kills in the match. Kayla White led with 13, followed by Jocelyn Carter with 12, and capped off by Grey Breen with 10.
- Jenna Wiggs served up four aces in the match,bringing her career total to 67. Valeria Calderon registered two, and Amanda Garvens had one.
- Wiggs also led the team in digs with 17. White had 14, giving her a double-double.
- Gabriela McHugh's 49 assists raises her career total to 1,635. She is 764 assists away from tying Adrian hicks for the fifth-place spot in the record books.
- The 3-1 win over Norfolk State is Corey Carlin's 120 career win.
COREY'S COURSE OF THOUGHT
Carlin on Overall performance
"I'm happy we got the win. I really think, in many ways, we survived tonight Norfolk State is very scrappy and I really love that they never gave up. They fought repeatedly throughout each set. There are some takeaways for sure. We have to get better defending for sure, especially the front 1/3 of the court. There were some things that we were aware of in scout that Norfolk State presented in the game that looked like we weren't ready, so that's disappointing. Despite that, the kids really pushed hard, and we made enough plays to win.
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Carlin on the quick turnaround
"The traditional tournament format can be a challenge an in this regard, I'm glad we're home and in our beds. We should get some good rest tonight, not having to worry about travel or be in a hotel. It's going to be a challenge for sure.
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UPCOMING
The Spartans will continue the Spartan-Aggie Tournament with a Saturday morning match against American at 11 a.m. They will close it out when they head up the road to NC A&T for a match against the Aggies at 7 p.m.
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