Nov. 6, 2003

Chapel Hill, N.C. - The North Carolina volleyball team hosts Maryland on Friday at 7 p.m. and Virginia at 6 p.m. on Saturday. Both games will be held in Carmichael Auditorium, as UNC looks to sweep their last two home ACC games of the season.

North Carolina suffered a 3-0 loss to Florida State on Oct. 31. The loss dropped the Tar Heels to 17-9 on the season and 8-4 in the ACC. UNC will look to rebound behind the play of junior outside hitter Molly Pyles. Pyles sat out the Oct. 28 match with N.C. State to rest an injury and she also missed a game in the Florida State match. Pyles' health is a key to UNC's success as she leads the team in kills per game with a 3.62 average and is also second on the squad in digs per game with a 2.92 average.

Sophomore outside hitter Dani Nyenhuis averages 3.24 kills per game and 2.51 digs per game. Other key players for UNC include junior libero Caroline deRoeck, junior middle hitter Katie Wright and senior middle hitter Aletha Green. deRoeck leads the team with a 3.40 digs per game average and Wright averages 2.71 kills per game. Green leads the team in blocks per game with a 1.24 average.

Maryland is 21-5 overall and 10-2 in the ACC, as the Terrapins are coming off a major upset of fourth-ranked Georgia Tech. The Terrapins beat the Yellow Jackets 28-30, 24-30, 30-24, 30-28, 15-12 in College Park, Md. Maryland is led by senior outside hitter Lynnsy Jones and sophomore middle hitter Rachel Wagener. Jones leads the team with 334 kills on the season and Wagener is among the nation's best in blocks per game with a 1.68 average.

Virginia comes to Chapel Hill with a 5-7 conference mark and a 21-7 overall record. The Cavaliers are led by senior libero Whitney Ashcraft, as she leads the ACC with a 5.05 digs per game average. Other key contributors for Virginia are senior outside hitter Paige Davis and freshman outside hitter Lindsay Osco. Davis is fourth in the ACC in kills with a 3.95 per game average and Osco is second on the team in digs with a 3.26 per game average.

Senior Day takes place at Saturday's match against Virginia as Tammy Foxworth and Aletha Green will be honored before the match.