@CanesVB Sweeps NC State 3-0
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami volleyball team opened the month of November with a win over conference rival NC State.
The Canes (14-7, 7-4 ACC) beat the Wolfpack in three sets 25-20, 25-19 and 25-14. The victory snapped a four-match losing streak and gave Miami its fourth home win in five matches at the Knight Sports Complex.
“It sure feels good to get on the other side of the column,” Miami head coach Jose “Keno” Gandara said of the win. “The best part was that we got a return on our work this week on serving, blocking and minimizing our errors. I think it’s just about getting a return on that. There’s still a lot of stuff that we can fix, but it was a step forward.”
Juniors Savanah Leaf and Alexis Mourning each contributed a team-high nine kills Friday. Leaf also added nine digs, five blocks and a team-high three aces, while Mourning chipped in with four blocks in the three-set victory.
Senior Alex Johnson continued her steady all-around play, finishing with five kills, five digs, two aces and a block. Junior Emani Sims also was a key player for Miami, leading the team with a .462 hitting percentage while finishing with seven kills and five blocks.
Outside hitter Misty Ma’a also was a force for the Canes. The sophomore tallied eight kills and eight digs against NC State.
Sophomore setter Caitilin Donahoe fed the Miami attack, distributing 31 assists. Donahoe also collected seven digs and an ace to help push the Canes past NC State.
“It’s great to have everybody contribute, but we have to keep an emphasis on whoever is on that night,” Gandara said. “That’s one of the things we got to get our setters to be aware of and distribute the ball. We need to make sure that we make good choices based on weakness of the opponent or who’s the hot hitter.”
Defensively, senior Ryan Shaffer played a big role in the back row. The libero tallied a team-high 19 digs to go with four assists and a service ace.
The Hurricanes are back in action Sunday at 1 p.m., hosting No. 12 North Carolina in the Knight Sports Complex. Following this UNC match, the Canes will hit the road for the final time in the 2013 regular season. Miami will travel to Virginia for a 7 p.m. at Virginia Tech on Nov. 8. They will take on the UVA Cavaliers at 7 p.m. on Nov. 9 to wrap up their last trip away from the Knight Sports Complex.
Single-game volleyball tickets are just $5 for adults and $3 for youth (Ages 3-17). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit CanesTix.com or call 305-284-2263. For all the latest information on Miami Hurricanes volleyball, follow the official Twitter feed, @CanesVB, or “Like Us” on Facebook at facebook.com/UMVolleyball. The program is also on Instagram (CanesVB).
