The UNC volleyball team placed three athletes on the ACC’s preseason All-Conference team, and the Tar Heels were picked to finish sixth in a once again strong league.

Reigning ACC Freshman of the Year Mabrey Shaffmaster, 2021 All-ACC second team selection Kaya Merkler and Notre Dame transfer Charley Niego were the three Tar Heels honored.

Shaffmaster burst onto the scene in 2021, playing in all 30 of the team’s matches and hitting 389 kills. That number was the highest of any ACC freshman and the sixth-highest of any player of any class in the league. Like Merkler, Shaffmaster was also named second team All-ACC.

Merkler, a junior, has led Carolina in hitting percentage in each of the last two seasons. The Chapel Hill High alumna also led the team in blocks last season with 97. Niego was a four-time All-ACC selection with the Fighting Irish, leading the team in kills as a freshman, sophomore and junior.

Reigning ACC champions Louisville were picked to win the league once again in 2022 (there is no ACC Tournament in volleyball). The Cardinals received 10 first place votes, while second-place Pittsburgh received five. Both teams reached the Final Four last season.

Georgia Tech, Miami and Florida State followed up the top two, with Carolina in sixth. For a full look at the preseason poll, click here.

The Tar Heels will open the 2022 regular season Friday night on the road, when they face Colorado State. UNC beat the Rams in a five-set thriller in Chapel Hill last season.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jerome M. Ibrahim

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Volleyball's Season Ends vs. No. 1 Penn State in NCAA Tournament 2nd Round
A successful 2024 season came to an end for Carolina in the second round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament on Saturday night. The Tar Heels won the third set against No. 1 seed Penn State in a true road environment before losing 3-1. UNC was competitive in each of the first two sets, getting as […]
UNC Volleyball Beats Yale for First NCAA Tournament Win Since 2016
Carolina rebounded from a first-set defeat against Yale in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night on the campus of Penn State, winning the next three sets to beat the Bulldogs and earn the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in eight years. We loved dancing so much we decided we wanted to […]
UNC Volleyball Earns No. 8 Seed in NCAA Tournament, Will Face Yale in 1st Round
Carolina earned a spot in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament for the first time since 2021 on Sunday night. The Tar Heels are a No. 8 seed and will face Yale in the opening round on the campus of Penn State on Friday at 5 p.m. For the 20th time in program history and the first […]
UNC Volleyball Sweeps Duke Doubleheader; Off to Best ACC Start Since 2016
The UNC volleyball team had no trouble in two matches with Duke during the week, sweeping the Blue Devils first at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Wednesday night and then in Carmichael Arena on Friday night. Carolina is now 4-0 in ACC play, which is its best start since 2016. On Wednesday night at Duke, the […]
Chansky's Notebook: Diggin' That Team
UNC volleyball is building a program with love, and coach Mike Schall has been at it for almost two seasons after taking over for Joe Sagula.
UNC Volleyball Begins ACC Play With Wins vs. Syracuse, Boston College
The UNC volleyball team extended its winning streak to six games with victories against Syracuse and Boston College in Carmichael Arena over the weekend. The Tar Heels are now 2-0 in ACC play for the first time since 2016. Against a previously unbeaten Syracuse team on Friday, Carolina dominated the first two sets. The Tar […]
UNC Volleyball Shares 2024 Regular Season Schedule
The UNC volleyball team shared its 2024 regular season schedule on Tuesday. The Tar Heels are entering their second season under head coach Mike Schall. Get out your calendars 📅! Our 2024 Schedule is here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/WzEf2chzGt — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) July 9, 2024 After an exhibition at Appalachian State on August 16 and the […]
UNC Volleyball Sweeps Weekend Homestand
The UNC volleyball team snapped its losing streak with a pair of wins against Santa Clara and Coastal Carolina over the weekend at Carmichael Arena. Against the Broncos on Friday, the Tar Heels found themselves down 17-14 midway through the first set but ended on an 11-5 run to earn a hard-fought 1-0 lead in […]
UNC Volleyball Sweeps West Virginia and Loyola in Home Openers
The UNC volleyball team continued its hot start to the season by sweeping West Virginia and Loyola-Maryland in its first two home matches of the season at Carmichael Arena. Graduate transfer Emani’ Foster, who arrived in Chapel Hill in the offseason from Charlotte, led the way for Carolina with 15 kills against the Mountaineers. No […]
UNC Volleyball Wins 2 of 3 Matches at Cactus Classic; First Wins Under Head Coach Mike Schall
If the first few matches are any indication, the Mike Schall era of the UNC volleyball program will be full of twists and turns. Schall earned his first wins as head coach of the Tar Heels over the weekend in Arizona, as Carolina went 2-1 at the Cactus Classic in Tucson. Both of UNC’s wins […]
›