Friday, December 9
Minneapolis, Minn.
7:45 PM
UCLA
27-6
3
vs
1
North Carolina (Regional Semifinals)
29-4
1
2
3
4
F
UCLA
23
25
25
28
3
North Carolina
25
22
23
26
1
The Bruins advanced to the Regional Final for the first time since 2011 (photo Tom Lawless).
#10 Bruins Bounce #7 UNC, Reach Regional Final
December 09, 2016 | Women's Volleyball
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MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -ย Junior Reily Buechler had a career-high 24 digs to go with a team-best 19 kills, as the 10th-seeded Bruins knocked off #7 North Carolina in four sets on Friday night at The Sports Pavilion to advance to Saturday's Regional Final. Set scores were 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 28-26.
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The Bruins (27-6) will take on #2-seed Minnesota at 9 p.m. CT/7 p.m. PT. The match will air on ESPNU. North Carolina ends its season at 29-4.
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Both UCLA setters also had double-doubles, as senior Ryann Chandler notched 32 assists and 12 digs and freshman Kylie Miller posted 29 assists and 11 digs, setting the Bruins to a .267 percentage. The UCLA senior middles had an outstanding match, with Claire Felix registering 15 kills and a .481 percentage and Jennie Frager adding 11 kills and no errors in 21 attempts (.524). Senior Taylor Formico had 24 digs and seven assists, senior Jordan Anderson added 15 kills and five digs, freshman Torrey Van Winden recorded 17 digs and eight kills and senior Haley Lawless tallied six kills.
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The Bruins led for most of the opening set, but a late run for the Tar Heels gave them the first. Even at four, UCLA scored five of six on two Felix kills, one apiece by Van Winden and Formico and a UNC error to go ahead 9-5. The Tar Heels would come back to tie the score at 13. Equal at 15, a 5-1 UCLA run on two kills each by Buechler and Lawless and one from Anderson gave the Bruins another set-best lead of four at 20-16. UCLA led by three at 22-19 before North Carolina tallied six of the last seven points to take it 25-23. Buechler was error-free with six kills in 10 attempts, Felix had no miscues with five kills in seven swings and Lawless added three kills and no errors in four attempts. Formico had five digs, while Chandler, Miller and Van Winden each notched four digs. The Bruins were out-hit .333 to .302.
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North Carolina had four one-point leads in the second set, but UCLA came on strong late to even things going into intermission. Trailing 15-14, the Bruins scored three in a row on a Felix kill, a Van Winden solo block and a Felix/Lawless roof to make it 17-15. North Carolina netted the next two, but kills by Lawless and Anderson gave UCLA the lead back for good. After a UNC sideout, an Anderson kill, a Tar Heel error and a Frager kill put the Bruins up by a set-best three at 22-18. UNC shaved its deficit to one at 23-22, but a Buechler kill and an ace from sophomore Zana Muno gave the Bruins a 25-22 win. The second set featured 13 ties and seven lead changes. Anderson had four kills, Buechler added four kills and seven digs and Formico posted nine digs, as the Bruins out-hit the Tar Heels .140 to .111.
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Despite some tenuous moments at the end of the third set, the Bruins never trailed in taking a 2-1 match lead. UCLA reeled off the first five points on two kills apiece by Anderson and Buechler and a UNC error. Up 13-10, a 4-0 run on kills by Frager, Buechler and Felix and a Miller ace extended the lead to a set-best seven at 17-10. North Carolina slowly clawed its way back. Down 21-17, the Tar Heels recorded six of the next eight to even things at 23. But a Buechler kill and a Miller ace closed out the 25-23 victory. Buechler had five kills and nine digs, while Anderson, Felix and Frager each added four kills. The Bruins were out-hit .318 to .298.
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Set four featured 14 ties and three lead changes. North Carolina took an early 8-5 lead before the Bruins scored four of five on two Van Winden kills, a Felix kill and a Buechler/Lawless roof to even things at nine. The Tar Heels again went ahead at 13-10, but a Frager kill, a Buechler solo stuff and a UNC error made it 13-all. North Carolina's last lead was at 16-15, as four in a row by the Bruins on Buechler, Felix and Van Winden kills and a UNC error gave UCLA a 19-16 edge. Despite many more ties, the Tar Heels didn't have the lead for the rest of the match. At 23-all, an Anderson kill gave the Bruins their first match point, but it was saved. A Frager kill made it 25-24, but UNC dodged another match point. A Felix kill gave the Bruins a third match point, but it was saved again. A Van Winden kill earned UCLA a fourth match point and Anderson ended the festivities with a kill to win it 28-26. Felix was error-free and 5-for-9 in kill attempts, Van Winden added five kills and eight digs, Anderson had five kills and Buechler posted four kills and six digs. Formico recorded seven digs, Chandler added four and Frager had three kills, as the Bruins out-hit the Tar Heels .310 to .220.
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Team Stats
UCLA
NC
Kills
76
60
Errors
25
15
Attempts
191
187
Hitting %
.267
.241
Points
86.0
79.0
Assists
73
58
Aces
4
5
Blocks
6.0
14.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
19
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP/OH
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