Several UNC women’s sports teams were in action up and down the east coast Sunday. In Virginia, the field hockey team earned a 2-1 win at Richmond, while down in Chapel Hill the women’s soccer team cruised to a 5-0 win at Dorrance Field against NJIT. Meanwhile, up in New York City, the volleyball team lost to Vanderbilt in four sets in Manhattan’s Hammerstein Ballroom.

On the field hockey pitch, the Tar Heels earned their 2-1 win despite trailing after the first quarter. Ella Barbacci brought Carolina even in the second by getting her stick on a loose ball in front of the Spider cage, and Charly Bruder scored early in the third quarter to give UNC the lead for good. Richmond would manage just one shot on target for the remainder of the game, which Merritt Skubisz denied for her only save. Overall, UNC outshot Richmond 14-6 and held a 9-2 edge in shots on target.

UNC is now 3-3 on the season. Up next, the Tar Heels will host their ACC opener Sunday when No. 11 Virginia visits Karen Shelton Stadium at 12 p.m.

There was no need for a comeback over at Dorrance Field, where the Tar Heels scored early and often on their way to their fourth consecutive win. Riley Kennedy put UNC ahead inside of five minutes before Summer Denigan scored from the penalty spot in the 19th minute, giving Carolina a 2-0 lead at halftime. In fact, UNC’s five goals on the day came from five different players: Kennedy, Denigan, Deus Stanislaus, Bella Devey and Chloe Shroff. The Tar Heels were efficient with their chances, as the five goals came on just 13 total shots.

UNC’s last three victories have come by way of the clean sheet, with the Tar Heels outscoring the competition 9-0 in that span. Carolina is now 7-1 overall and 1-0 in ACC play, having allowed just one goal across its seven wins. Up next, the Tar Heels will welcome No. 3 Duke to Dorrance Field Thursday at 8 p.m. The Blue Devils are coming off a massive 5-0 win against No. 1 Stanford Sunday.

It was not as successful an afternoon for the Tar Heels on the volleyball court. Playing in the “Anchor Down in Midtown” event to commemorate the opening of Vanderbilt University’s New York City campus, Carolina fell to the celebratory Commodores in four sets. The two teams split the first two, with Vanderbilt controlling play in a 25-16 first set win and UNC showing its resolve by scoring the final three points in a 26-24 win in the second.

Carolina led 14-12 in the third before an 8-0 Vanderbilt run sent the Commodores on their way to a 25-19 win. In the fourth, UNC led 25-24 and was a point away from forcing a deciding fifth set, but Vanderbilt won the final three points to steal the set and win the match.

The Tar Heels are 4-2 on the season, having lost two straight matches. The road ahead isn’t any easier: UNC visits No. 1 Nebraska in Lincoln this coming Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern time.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Dalton Wainscott

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 newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
This Week in UNC Sports: September 14-20, 2026
The upcoming week offers several high-caliber matchups for multiple UNC teams both at home and on the road.
This Week in UNC Sports: August 31-September 6, 2026
This series of posts will be made weekly on Chapelboro with a full schedule of UNC sports contests, both in Chapel Hill and elsewhere. Note that game times and broadcast information are subject to change due to inclement weather or other factors. The first week of September means that fall sports are well and truly […]
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. […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network Takeover
The ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report Says
Several UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]
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 Field Hockey, Women's Soccer Each Earn Sunday Wins
The UNC field hockey and women’s soccer teams were both in action Sunday, and both sides earned wins: field hockey won at Old Dominion, and women’s soccer defeated Pitt at Dorrance Field. In Norfolk, Carolina controlled possession against the Monarchs and took an early lead thanks to a first-quarter goal from Isabel Boere. Kara Heck […]
Chansky's Notebook: Let's Go, Ladies!
The UNC field hockey and women's soccer programs are set to be nationally competitive once again this fall.
UNC Women's Sports Programs Win 2024-25 Capital One Cup
UNC has been named the winner of the 2024-25 Capital One Cup, awarded annually to the most successful women’s athletic program of the season. The winner is determined by accumulating points in a combination of NCAA championship wins and major poll finishes. Four women’s sports programs at UNC – field hockey, soccer, lacrosse and tennis […]
›