Chaniel Nelson, a UNC volleyball senior, was chosen as a finalist for the Senior CLASS award.

CLASS stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, and chooses ten NCAA volleyball seniors who exemplify the “total student-athlete”, excelling both on and off the court.

Nelson leads the Tar Heels with 2.88 kills per set this year, with a .331 hitting percentage as an opposite hitter. Standing at a towering 6 foot 2 inches, Nelson was named to the All-ACC team in both her redshirt sophomore and freshman seasons. She is also the founder and director of the UNC S.W.A.G. (Something We Athletes Got) program, which promotes healthy lifestyle choices for student-athletes through peer education.

CJ Hunter, the UNC volleyball primary communications contact, says Nelson is a well-decorated senior who embodies everything the CLASS award is looking for in her leadership, athleticism and excellence.

“She’s having a great year and being a great leader for us so far – a fantastic person and a fantastic player. She works very hard, is very athletic, and has a very high contact point in her left hand to get over and around the block.”

“This award is a recognition of her dedication to excellence in the classroom, off the court and on the court,” Hunter said. “Here at UNC we like to think that all of our athletes are trying to embody all of those things inside of Chapel Hill.”

Carolina fans are able to vote for Nelson here on the CLASS award website until December 8. Fan votes will be combined with Division I head coaches’ votes to determine the winner. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship in December.

The list of finalists is as followed:
Liz Brenner, Oregon
Savanah Leaf, Miami (Florida)
Haley Eckerman, Texas
Liz McMahon, Illinois
Meredith Hardy, East Tennessee State
Katie Mosher, Florida State
Casey Hinger, Cal State Northridge
Kori Moster, Michigan State
Madi Kingdon, Arizona
Chaniel Nelson, North Carolina

Related Stories
‹
UNC Volleyball Sweeps No. 11 Florida, Improves to 5-0 to Begin 2025 Season
Carolina earned its biggest regular-season win of head coach Mike Schall’s tenure Tuesday night in Carmichael Arena, sweeping No. 11 Florida in three sets as part of the ACC-SEC Showdown at the Net. Worked ‘em silly😏#GoHeels | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/AgyqudaApa — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) September 10, 2025 UNC took the lead midway through the opening set […]
UNC Volleyball Beats Maryland and Coastal Carolina in First Matches of 2025
The UNC volleyball team earned a pair of four-set wins in Conway, S.C. during the weekend against Maryland and hosts Coastal Carolina to begin the 2025 season. In the season opener against the Terrapins Saturday, the Tar Heels rebounded from a 25-21 defeat in the opening seat to win the next three sets all by […]
'I Like What I've Seen': Mike Schall, UNC Volleyball Aim for Another Step Forward in 2025
As Mike Schall enters his third year leading UNC Volleyball, the program looks to build off a strong 2024 season and have consistent success.
On Air Today: UNC Volleyball Head Coach Mike Schall on the Upcoming 2025 Season
UNC Volleyball Head Coach Mike Schall joins 97.9 The Hill News Director Brighton McConnell in-studio on Thursday, August 15.
UNC Volleyball Reveals 2025 Regular Season Schedule
On the heels of an NCAA Tournament appearance and first-round victory in 2024, the UNC volleyball program has announced its regular season schedule for the 2025 campaign. The moment you’ve all been waiting for 👀 Our 2025 schedule is finally here‼️ pic.twitter.com/ZP2DwvUGMG — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) July 21, 2025 UNC’s season begins with a pair […]
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.
›