1998 YEAR IN REVIEW
THE YEAR OF THE RAM
The 1998 UNC Volleyball season was one filled with awards, honors, victories and falling records. Last Year's
squad defined Carolina volleyball and set a impressive precedent for future teams to follow. A 14-match winning
streak that lasted from Sept. 12 through Oct. 13, was the longest in Tar Heel volleyball history, was just the
beginning for the most succesful Carolina team in nearly a decade. The Heels calimed the Nike Carolina Classic
early in the season with wins over George Mason, UNLV, Idaho and Cincinnati. Also included in the 14-match streak
were wins over seven of the Heels' eight ACC opponents. A victory againts Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Sept. 15
marked the first time Carolina had defeated Tech on the road since 1990.

Carolina dominance of the conference continuedd through the season as the Tar Heels earnd the regular seaon ACC title
with a final conference record of 13-3. The Tar Heels were runners-up at the ACC Tournamen in College Park, MD.,
falling to Florida State in the finals. Home was where the heart of was for the Heels as they were only the second
Carolina team to go undefeated in Chapel Hill. Head coach Joe Sagula coached his team to a 17-0 mark in the friendly
confines of Carmichael Auditorium, with impressive victories over season-opening Tennessee and nationally ranked Notre
Dame.

Carolina was rewarde for its solid regular season play as the Tar Heels earned their first NCAA Tournament bid since
1989. The Tar Heels faced Oral Robetrts in the first round in East Lansing, Mich. A dramatic five-game victory
marked the first egver NCAA Tournamament win for the Tar Heels. Carolina went on to face Pepperdine in the second
round, where Carolina's successful season ended in a three game match against the Waves.

With such team success on the court it was inevitable that several post-season honors would be earned by th Tar Heel
team. Several individuals turned in key performances for the Tar Heels including senior settter Erin Berg, who now
owns nearly every UNC assist record. Berg was only the third Carolina player to be named ACC Player-of-Year. She
became all-time assists leader with 5,751, topping Sherri Vogel's old mark of 5,513 set in 1988. She was also named
to the Michigan Classic All-Tournament team, MVP of the Carolina Classic, ACC Player-of-week Sept. 21, and first team
All-District team.

Junior Tori Seibert was also named first team All-ACC and to the All-Distict III team after finisihing the season with a
.344 hitting percentage and reaching the 1,000 kill mark. Seibert was also named ACC Player-of-the-week twice last season.
Junior middle hitter Shannon Smith received second team All-ACC and All-District honors after leading the Tar Heels in
blocks per game, averaging 1.17. Smith finished the season ranked fourth in the ACC with a .322 hitting percentage.
Last but certainly not least, coach Joe Sagula was honored by his coaching peers as the ACC Coach-of-the-year. Sagula
coached the team to a final 29-8 record and to its best-ever showing in the NCAA Tournament. The 13-3 ACC regular
season mark was the best performance by a Tar Heel team under Sagula's tenure.

Last year was indeed the year of the Ram as the Tar Heels enjoyed success both individually and as a team. Graduating senior
Maya Startks summed it up best after Carolina's second round NCAA Tournament game against Pepperdine: "I'm proud of this
team and proud to be a part of it."

THE YEAR OF THE RAM