Nicole Reis records 29 kills to lead Tar Heels' attack.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- North Carolina's Nicole Reis recorded 29 kills as the Tar Heels defeated Creighton in the third match of the Santa Clara University Invitational, hosted by the Fremont Marriott, this evening at the Leavey Center. Game scores were 20-30, 30-26, 31-29, 30-21.
With the victory, North Carolina improves to 1-1 in tournament play, 4-2 overall, while Creighton moves to 0-2 at the Invitational, 1-4 on the year.
Creighton opened a 17-2 lead in the opener. A Block assist by Lisa Meekins and MaryJane Hyde set up the first game point. An immediate kill by Melissa Walsh sealed the deal for the Jays 30-20.
The final three games were much closer. Three straight service aces by Kelli Koochi gave Creighton its first lead of game two, at 12-10. The squads battled within a couple of points of each other until the frame was tied again at 18. UNC turned around a five-point advantage by 25-20. Nicole Reis set up the Heels' first game point with a kill and added another for the win to even the match.
Game three was another close battle, but once again, Reis brought the victory to North Carolina with another kills. Game four saw six match points for the Tar Heels before an attack by Laura Greene landed on the court for a 30-21 final score.
The Tar Heels wrap up the weekend Sunday at 1 p.m. PST when they face the host Santa Clara Broncos