CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina — The freshman of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball team made their presence felt Saturday (Sept. 1) in Carmichael Arena. Undaunted by the bright lights of Chapel Hill, they helped their team stay in the match before falling 3-0 (13-25, 18-25, 22-25) to the North Carolina Tar Heels.
"This team is proving yet again we can compete with the Power Five." Hawks coach Trevor Callarman said. "Now it's about finishing sets to complete the job. Our newcomers proved they deserve a spot on the court, and that's huge for our team going forward."
Alexis Lee (Wilmington, Delaware) led the Hawks (0-5) in kills, going 7-for-12 with just one error. Mauri Carver (Elizabeth City, North Carolina) subbed in during set two and blasted four kills in five tries for an .800 percentage. Tijana Korosec (Belgrade, Serbia) debuted as a setter and earned 22 assists and a block participation.
"Before the match, Coach told me to play my game." Lee said. "That gave me the confidence to succeed. Tiji [Korosec] and I worked well together, and that connection kept us in the match."
"The biggest thing coming in was teamwork." Carver said. "We played for the person beside us, especially Korosec, since this was her first match. That teamwork gave us opportunities to play smart, allowing us to hang in there with a physical Tar Heel team."
Their efforts were instrumental in a .165 hitting percentage as a team, which is the second best mark on the season. The Hawks were narrowly edged by the Tar Heels (2-2) in digs (30-25), aces (six to three) and blocks (seven to four).
Carolina used a 10-2 run to take the first set by 13. The Shore stayed within a few points in the second set, eventually forcing a Tar Heel timeout late in the frame.
The third and final set was all Hawks early on. With fellow freshman Stella Johnson (Newport News, Virginia) on the serve The Shore rattled off four straight. Riding that momentum they cruised to a 10-5 lead before North Carolina managed to catch up. Still, the set was tied as late as 21 all before the Tar Heels scored four of the last five to sweep.
In addition to the freshmen, junior Lidia Chery (Garfield, New Jersey) contributed five kills, a .286 percentage and a match high four blocks, including a solo.
Maryland Eastern Shore closes out their stay in Chapel Hill with a 4:30 p.m. match with UNCG.
