College Notebook

UNC blanks Virginia to advance to ACC semifinals

For the second time in four days the University of North Carolina women’s soccer team knocked off a top 10-ranked team in shutout fashion as the Tar Heels beat Virginia 3-0 on Sunday at Fetzer Field in the ACC tournament quarterfinals.

Goals by Madison Schultz, Sarah Ashley Firstenberg and Julia Ashley were the difference in the game as the Tar Heels (12-3-3) earned their first ACC tournament win since the 2013 quarterfinal round and its first win over Virginia since 2010. The Cavaliers fell to 13-4-2 with the loss.

The Tar Heels, seeded fourth in the tournament, advanced to the semifinals against top-seeded Notre Dame (13-2-4) at 5:30 p.m. on Friday at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston, S.C. The second semifinal game next Friday features No. 6 seed Florida State against No. 2 seed Clemson at 8 p.m.

The championship game of the tournament is scheduled for noon on Sunday. It will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

Duke: After taking a first-half lead against fifth-ranked and sixth-seeded Florida State, the third-seeded Blue Devils failed to advance in the ACC tournament quarterfinals falling to the Seminoles, 3-2, in penalty kicks at Koskinen Stadium Sunday.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack put together a strong performance against the No. 1 overall seed Notre Dame at Alumni Stadium in the ACC tournament quarterfinal, but ultimately fell 1-0 after an 88th minute goal from the home team. The Wolfpack now seek an at-large bid to the NCAA championships.

ECU: The Pirates’ season concluded with a 2-1 home defeat to Connecticut in American Athletic Conference action at Johnson Stadium on Sunday. Senior striker Lana Spitler led the purple and gold with five shots and one assist.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming ACC tournament and will host a quarterfinal game on Sunday, against either Notre Dame or Duke. The team won the ACC Atlantic Division title on Friday night when it tied Syracuse 1-1 in New York. First kick between the Deacons and either seventh-seeded Notre Dame and 10th-seeded Duke is set for 1 p.m. Sunday. The opponent will be determined Wednesday night when host Notre Dame takes on Duke in the first round.

Wake Forest: Sophomore Jennifer Kupcho posted her second consecutive victory, earning medalist honors at the Landfall Tradition. The Demon Deacons tied for the team title after Sunday’s final round at the Dye Course of the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, but finished as the tournament’s runner-up as the result of a scorecard playoff.

Duke: The team is one of eight of the nation’s top-ranked golf programs that will convene in Atlanta, to compete in the second annual East Lake Cup, which will air live on The Golf Channel from Monday to Wednesday at the historic East Lake Golf Club. In the women’s division, reigning NCAA champion Washington along with Duke, UCLA and Stanford will compete. The women’s division will also feature junior Leona Maguire, No. 1 in the world amateur golf rankings.

UNC: The Tar Heels celebrated Senior Day in grand fashion Sunday, reaching season highs for goals, points and shots in a 9-1 win over Appalachian State at Francis E. Henry Stadium. Senior Lauren Moyer and redshirt freshman Catherine Hayden scored two goals each as UNC improved to 15-4 overall with a victory in the final game of the regular season. Next up for the Tar Heels is the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, which begins on Thursday in Winston-Salem.

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons defeated host Liberty 3-1 on Sunday to close out the regular season. The No. 7 seeded Deacs will play No. 2 seed Syracuse in the first round of the ACC tournament on Thursday. The game is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. and will be held at Kentner Stadium.

Duke: The Blue Devils split a pair of singles matches Sunday to conclude the Charlotte 49ers Fall Invitational. Freshmen Spencer Furman captured his singles flight championship while Nick Stachowiak fell in three sets. The Blue Devils play in their final fall events next weekend with the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championship in Flushing, N.Y., and the Dick Vitale Clay Court Classic in Bradenton, Fla.

N.C. State: The Wolfpack earned the 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-16) sweep against host Virginia Tech, breaking the program’s rally-scoring era and ACC record for highest team attacking percentage in the process. The Pack improves to 14-10 overall and 7-5 in ACC play

UNC: The Tar Heels’ 11-match winning streak ended on Sunday, as the Pittsburgh took down the Heels in five sets (21-25, 25-19, 15-25, 25-23, 6-15) for their first ACC loss of the season. The Tar Heels drop to 19-3 (11-1 ACC).

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons fell to host Boston College 3-1 on Sunday. The Deacons return home to face Notre Dame and Louisville on Friday and Sunday, respectively. Both games will be held at the Summit School and will begin at 7:30 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.

Duke: Sophomore middle blocker Leah Meyer knocked down a career-high 19 kills and added eight blocks to pace the Blue Devils in a 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21) road ACC victory Sunday at the Women’s Building. Meyer notched her 19 kills on 33 attempt with just five attack errors, good for a .424 hitting percentage. Sunday’s contest marked Meyer’s third straight in double-digit kills and second consecutive with eight blocks.

Elon: The team hosted its annual Pink Match for breast cancer awareness but was not able to pull out the win, falling to Delaware, 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 18-25, 21-25), in Alumni Gym. Sydel Curry posted her 13th double-double of the year for the Phoenix (16-12, 3-9) after 44 assists and 11 digs.

Duke: The team opened its fall season with a full day at the Princeton Chase on Lake Carnegie. The Blue Devils raced a trio of varsity 8-plus boats, four varsity 4-plus crews and one novice 8-plus entry. The team came away with three total top-five finishes and a good measuring stick for the remainder of the fall.

From news releases

This story was originally published October 30, 2016 at 11:30 PM with the headline "College Notebook."