Hurricanes Down NC State in Three Games in ACC Regular Season Finale
Nov. 14, 2004
RALIEGH, N.C. – Junior Karla Johnson had a team-high 12 kills to lead the University of Miami volleyball team past NC State, 3-0 (30-26, 30-26, 30-26) Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C. in the Hurricanes’ final regular season ACC match of the 2004 season.
With the win, the Hurricanes close out their ACC schedule with an 11-5 mark in conference play while posting an overall record of 16-8 on the year. The win over the Wolfpack, who fall to 10-20 overall and 0-16 in ACC play, also secures UM’s spot as the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament.
Johnson was one of four Hurricanes to record double-digit kills against NC State with senior Valeria Tipiana, redshirt sophomore Francheska Savage and senior Elizabeth Tyson each posting 10 kills on the afternoon.
Sophomore Ann Gallo led UM with 10 digs followed by senior Jamie Grass with nine and Tipiana, who finished the match with seven digs.
The Hurricanes and NC State would trade points early throughout the first game, with neither team leading by as much as two until Tyson missed on an attack to put the Wolfpack up 19-16. Miami would battle back, cutting the lead to one at 20-19 on a Johnson kill, but NC State answered going on a 3-1 run to take the lead at 23-20.
Miami responded by producing a 4-1 run capped off by Tipiana kill on an assist by sophomore Jill Robinson to knot the score at 24-24. UM would hold off the Wolfpack for the remainder of the game to win 30-26.
The Hurricanes carried momentum from the come-from-behind win in the first game into the second game, leading by as much as seven early on with the score 13-6. From that point, NC State chipped away at the UM lead before tying up the game at 22-22 before taking the lead on the following play.
The two schools would trade the next two points before a Tipiana kill tied the game at 24-24. The Hurricanes capitalized on a bad set by the Wolfpack to take the lead on the following play and held on to close out game two 30-26.
With a 2-0 advantage in the match, the Hurricanes took a 7-4 lead early in game three and never looked back. Leading by as much as 10 at 22-12, Miami would go on to win game three 30-26 to clinch the match.
The Hurricanes will head to the 2004 ACC Women’s Volleyball Championships November 18-21 in Charlottesville, Va. where they will receive a first-round by as the tournament’s No. 2 seed.
