Foster Breaks Single-Season Ace Record In Win Over UNC

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From SMUMustangs.com:

Foster Breaks Single-Season Ace Record In Win Over No. 25 North Carolina

DALLAS (SMU) – No. 10 SMU volleyball earned its fifth win over a ranked opponent this season, defeating No. 25 North Carolina (18-5, 10-4 ACC) Sunday with set scores of 25-22, 25-16, 16-25, and 25-21. SMU improved to 19-6 and 11-3 in the ACC with the win over the Tar Heels.

With an ace in the first set against North Carolina, Natalie Foster broke SMU volleyball's single-season record, passing Caroline Young, who had 51 aces in 2013. Maya Tabron and Jamison Wheeler also reached milestones against the Tar Heels, eclipsing 1,000 career digs.

Wheeler led the match with 16 kills, hitting .429, while adding eight digs. Maya Tabron logged her eighth double-double of the season with ten kills and ten digs. Celia Cullen dished out 42 assists against the Tar Heels, and Foster finished the match with seven kills while hitting .357 with two aces.

SMU out-blocked the Tar Heels 12-10 and won the serving battle 5-3. The Mustangs edged out North Carolina in hitting percentage, .264 to .248.

MATCH NOTES:
Wheeler collected double-digit kills for the ninth time this season.
Wheeler became just the sixth player to collect 1,000 career digs and kills at SMU.
Tabron logged 10+ kills for the 15th time this year.
After Sunday's result, SMU and Stanford are tied for third in the ACC standings at 11-3 with six regular season matches left.
The win was the Mustangs' first-ever win over North Carolina.
HOW IT HAPPENED:

SET ONE | The Mustangs started strong with a 3-0 run with a kill from Shime. They later stretched their lead to six (10-4) on a kill from Tabron and the record-breaking ace from Foster. SMU held a comfortable lead until a 4-0 run by the Tar Heels closed the gap. Another 4-0 run by North Carolina brought them within one point, 23-22, but SMU rallied for the final two points, which came on a kill from Wheeler and an attack error by the Tar Heels to seal a 25-22 set one victory. Wheeler and Tabron each collected four kills in the first set.

SET TWO | After UNC got a kill on the first point, SMU responded with a 5-0 run to jump out in front. The Mustangs stretched their lead to as much as ten (18-8) in the first set, ending with a 3-0 run that included back-to-back kills from Wheeler and a block from Wheeler and Foster. The Tar Heels answered with three straight of their own and then again down the stretch, which cut their deficit to six, but the Mustangs never let them back into the set, closing out the second frame with three points to take a 2-0 lead in the match. SMU hit a match-high .387 in the second set, led by Wheeler, who hit 1.000 with five kills on five swings.

SET THREE | The third set was tightly contested, as neither team could build a lead. SMU held a 10-9 lead before a 7-0 run with Mabrey Shaffmaster from North Carolina on the service line, which gave the Tar Heels a 17-9 lead. The Mustangs could not recover after the run and eventually fell 25-16. North Carolina hit .452 in the third set, their highest set-hitting percentage of the match. They also out-blocked SMU 4-2.

SET FOUR | Set four was the closest set of the match as the Tar Heels fought to send the match to five, and the Mustangs looked to regroup after the set three loss. The clubs traded blows, with neither team creating more than a two-point lead. Set four had 16 ties and five lead changes. SMU dominated in crunch time to secure a four-set win. After North Carolina took a 21-20 lead, SMU closed the match with five straight points capped off by an electric block from Naya Shime and Nnedi Okammor. Wheeler led the set with five kills on eight swings, and SMU out-blocked the Tar Heels 4-2 in the final set.

SMU LEADERS:
SMU Kills Leader: Jamison Wheeler (16)
SMU Assist Leader: Celia Cullen (42)
SMU Digs Leader: Maya Tabron (10)
SMU Blocks Leader: Naya Shime (10)
SMU Ace Leader: Natalie Foster/Maya Tabron (2)

UP NEXT:
SMU Volleyball will take on Florida State on Friday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. CT inside Moody Coliseum.