CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Virginia crushed North Carolina by 11 goals in women's lacrosse when they met at Klockner Stadium in March. So when the No. 4 seed Cavaliers bolted to a 3-0 lead in their NCAA tournament first-round game with UNC yesterday, another blowout seemed possible.

Sure enough, the game was one-sided, but the Tar Heels were the ones celebrating when it was over. The final at Klockner Stadium was 11-7, Carolina, an unexpected ending for ACC champion Virginia.

"It was a great year that came to a screeching halt," U.Va. coach Julie Myers said.

Virginia finished 14-4 after losing in the NCAA tourney's first round for the second time in three seasons. The Cavaliers advanced to the NCAA championship game last season.

"It's definitely shocking to put in the effort that we did leading up to this game and then feeling as though you're completely prepared, and then nothing really was happening," U.Va. junior Blair Weymouth said.

In NCAA women's lacrosse, halves last 30 minutes. Carolina (14-6) held Virginia scoreless for the final 24:54 of the opening half and led 6-3 at the break. But the Cavaliers didn't panic. In the ACC championship game, after all, they'd trailed Maryland 8-3 in the second half and rallied to win 10-9 in overtime.

"I don't think it was an issue," Myers said of her team's halftime deficit yesterday. "Obviously, we've been in that spot before"

UNC, whose coach, Jenny Levy, was an All-American at U.Va., will meet No. 5 seed Syracuse in the second round Saturday. The Heels had dropped three straight to Virginia before yesterday, losing in the ACC tournament and the NCAA tourney last year and then in the regular season this year.

"I think after last time we were real excited to come back and prove that we are a strong team," said UNC senior midfielder Meg Freshwater, a graduate of St. Anne's-Belfield School in Charlottesville.

North Carolina ------------------------- 6 5 --11
Virginia ------------------------- 3 4 -- 7

Goals: UNC -- Donohoe 5, Bosica 2, Taylor, Parks, Russell, Freshwater. U.Va. -- Weymouth 2, McCulloch 2, Hauser 2, Duff.

Assists: UNC -- Bosica 3, Taylor. U.Va.: Kalkstein 2.

Saves: Barnes (UNC) 10; McBrearty (U.Va.) 5.

A -- 412