Three days before the North Carolina field hockey team's season opener in late August, Ashley Hoffman stood outside the team building at Karen Shelton Stadium, answering questions about the upcoming campaign.
She recognized then the Tar Heels' immense potential. Other people had already pointed that out to her and her teammates countless times. But she also expressed one concern, about how boasting a roster so deep and so skilled and without a true weakness could lead to complacency.
"We had such high expectations," said Hoffman when asked recently about her preseason nervousness. "But I don't think anyone is ever comfortable with where we are.