A dominant first set win wasn’t enough for the UNC volleyball team Sunday afternoon against Louisville, as the visiting Cardinals won three straight sets afterward to take the match and remain undefeated.

Louisville, ranked No. 2 in the country, is now 23-0 on the season, while the Tar Heels fell to 18-7.

Carolina played some of its best volleyball of the year in the first set, taking five of the first six points and never trailing. Nia Parker-Robinson, Mabrey Shaffmaster, Kaya Merkler and Skyy Howard all contributed kills during the frame, a 25-14 win for the Tar Heels.

But for as good as Carolina looked in the opening stages, the Cardinals looked even better afterward. Louisville took the first five points of the second set and ended it with seven straight in a 25-11 win. A 10-1 run in the third set turned a 10-10 tie into a 21-11 advantage, which Louisville turned into a 25-18 win. Another 6-1 run in the fourth gave the Cardinals a lead which they wouldn’t give up. UNC fought back to within 20-17, but couldn’t quite get over the hump. The Tar Heels didn’t hold a single lead after their first set win.

With their toughest stretch of the season now behind them, the volleyball team will play three of their four remaining matches on the road. First up is a visit to Virginia Tech on Friday afternoon, as Carolina vies to secure a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2016.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Volleyball's 2025 Season Ends vs. No. 3 Wisconsin in NCAA Tournament
No. 3 seed Wisconsin swept UNC in three sets in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night in Madison. Carolina’s 2025 season is over. The Badgers dominated the first set and won 25-14, earning an early advantage in the match. But the Tar Heels stayed close in the second, cutting what had been […]
UNC Volleyball Beats No. 6 UTEP in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
UNC rebounded from dropping the first set to beat No. 6 seed UTEP in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Madison, WI Thursday night. Last four in. Unseeded. Don’t matter. Heels in 4️⃣#GoHeels | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/y0ZqBT163a — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) December 5, 2025 UNC had a chance to steal the opening set after […]
UNC Volleyball to Face No. 6 UTEP in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
The UNC volleyball team is headed to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season. The Tar Heels will face No. 6 seed UTEP in the tournament’s first round Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time in Madison, WI. It’s all about the Heels 🫡 pic.twitter.com/7FbGHNaxbw — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) December 1, 2025 The winner of […]
UNC Sports: Field Hockey Beats No. 8 Duke in Overtime, Volleyball Upsets No. 7 SMU
On a frenzied Friday night in Chapel Hill, the UNC field hockey and volleyball teams each picked up thrilling ranked wins. At Karen Shelton Stadium, the top-ranked Tar Heels hosted No. 8 Duke in the regular-season finale for both teams. But the Blue Devils threatened the steal the thunder early, opening the scoring midway through […]
UNC Sports: Men's Soccer Loses, Women's Soccer Wins, Volleyball Splits Weekend Homestand
It was a busy weekend of Olympic sports for UNC, with the men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball teams all in action. In men’s soccer, the Tar Heels fell at Syracuse Saturday afternoon after the Orange netted a goal in the 36th minute. Carolina pressed for an equalizer hard in the second half, totaling 13 […]
UNC Sports: Field Hockey, Volleyball, Men's Soccer All Win
The UNC field hockey, volleyball and men’s soccer teams were in action during the weekend, and all came away with wins. Following up on its comeback win at No. 9 Syracuse Friday, the field hockey team stayed in upstate New York as it traveled to Cornell for a non-conference matchup. The Tar Heels overwhelmed the […]
UNC Volleyball Debuts New Court at Carmichael Arena
The UNC volleyball program revealed a new sport-specific, Taraflex court at Carmichael Arena earlier this week. Previously, the Tar Heels had played on a dual-use court shared with the women’s basketball program. It’s here and it’s perfect! pic.twitter.com/RDDYoxEke1 — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) October 15, 2025 Taraflex, described as “the first choice for volleyball flooring,” provides […]
UNC Sports: Volleyball, Field Hockey Win; Women's Soccer Falls at Duke
Plenty of UNC Olympic sports teams were in action Sunday, as the field hockey and volleyball teams picked up big wins while the women’s soccer team lost at Duke. In volleyball, the Tar Heels traveled down to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech and came away with their first win against the Yellow Jackets since 2017. […]
UNC Volleyball Sweeps Doubleheader vs. Duke, Now 4-0 in ACC Play
Carolina won two matches in the span of four days against rival Duke this week, beating the Blue Devils first in Chapel Hill and then in Durham to stay unbeaten in conference play this season. In Wednesday’s match at Carmichael Arena, strong performances from Safi Hampton and Hailey Pearce propelled the Tar Heels to a […]
UNC Volleyball Beats Wake Forest, NC State to Begin ACC Play
Carolina earned home wins against in-state rivals Wake Forest and NC State at Carmichael Arena during the weekend, sending the Tar Heels off to a 2-0 start in ACC play this season. Against the Demon Deacons on Friday, the Tar Heels led from the start in a three-set sweep. A 5-0 run late in the […]
›