CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Three matches in three days is already a tall order, and even moreso when there are 2,400 miles between home and the competitions.
 
The Santa Clara University volleyball team battled Friday against its first of two Power-5 opponents in two days, taking host North Carolina to four sets before falling, 3-1 (25-22, 18-25, 25-13, 25-23) at Carmichael Arena.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Santa Clara (8-3) nearly pushed the match to a deciding fifth set, with the Tar Heels (5-3) escaping by the narrowest margins at 25-23 to clinch the match. The Broncos led set four, 13-11, but an 8-3 run by North Carolina gave it back the lead at 19-16. Santa Clara would fight off four consecutive match points, thanks in part to two service aces by Sophia Tulino, and bring it all the way to 24-23 before the Tar Heels finally grabbed the last point on a kill from Romani Thurman.
• The match would've taken a completely different turn had it not been for a comeback effort by the Tar Heels in the opening set. The first set featured four lead changes and eight tie scores. Santa Clara still led at 18-16 and had tie scores of 19-19 and 20-20, eyeing an early 1-0 match advantage. Instead, UNC closed the set on an 11-3 run, with 10 of those 11 points all coming on kills from five different players. That gave the Tar Heels a 25-22 set win and an early lead in the match.
• The Broncos' defense turned up and shut down UNC in the second set to even things at 1-1. Santa Clara held the Tar Heels to only .053 hitting. North Carolina scored the first two points of the set, but the Broncos answered with a 5-0 run and never trailed again en route to a 25-18 victory.
• The North Carolina defense returned that favor in set three, holding SCU to just .042 hitting while the offense went off at a .417 clip with 13 kills. A 7-1 UNC run to start the set placed the momentum squarely in the Tar Heels' court as they took a 2-1 match advantage.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 10: Santa Clara totaled 10 blocks Friday at North Carolina. It marked the fifth match this season the team has had at least 10 blocks in a match, and second in their last three contests.
• 13: Tulino was once again the Broncos' kills leader, this time with 13 kills on a .250 hitting percentage. She's had double-digit kills in eight of Santa Clara's 10 matches so far this year.

NEXT UP

• The Broncos close out their North Carolina road trip at 5 p.m. PDT Saturday with a match at Duke. Fans can find all live coverage links on the Broncos' schedule page.