CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A 12-save outing from Jocelyn Torres kept Virginia Tech in it until the end, but No. 14/16 North Carolina came out the 13-9 victors on Saturday at Dorrance Field.
Lauren Render tied her season high with four goals in the contest, including three in the first half. Olivia Vergano had a pair of goals, while the trio of Isa Torres, Ella Rishko and Caroline Little all had one.
After going down two goals early, the Hokies bounced back with two goals from Render and Torres assisted by Kayla Downey.
With the exception of one goal, Virginia Tech matched the top-20 Tar Heels in scoring throughout the rest of the half. Both teams scored four goals in the second quarter, however, Jocelyn Torres' three saves in the frame are what kept it tight going into the break.
Rishko opened the scoring for both sides in the second half with Tech's lone goal in the third quarter. It was in the third quarter that the Hokies committed the most turnovers of the day in a single quarter – four.
Vergano's second goal of the day brought Tech within one – 8-9 – but two more from North Carolina to make it a three-goal game with just six minutes remaining all but wrapped it up. The Tar Heels wrangled in all seven draw controls in the fourth quarter to cement an 18-7 advantage in that category.
After three ACC road games, the Hokies will return to Thompson Field on Wednesday at 1 p.m. to face Old Dominion.