Carolina volleyball continued their recent roll on Friday, sweeping the Duke Blue Devils and notching their sixth consecutive win.

The result was the second time UNC has swept Duke in three sets this season and the sixth win in their last seven matchups with the Blue Devils.

For the second game in a row, freshman Mabrey Shaffmaster led the way for the Tar Heels. She recorded 13 kills in the game, leading both teams in the stat, as well as two service aces and three block assists. Meanwhile, sophomore Kaya Merkler tallied a career-best seven block assists and grad student Meghan Neelon finished with 30 assists.

The win meant two wins for UNC over in-state rivals within three days, as the team beat NC State on Wednesday 3-1. Sitting at 17-4 on the season, head coach Joe Sagula’s program has ensured it will finish with its best record in a season since 2016, when the Tar Heels went 29-4.

While UNC has a 10-2 record at home this season, they’ve faced tough challenges on the road. The volleyball program will be put to the test in the next week, as they’ll travel to face Georgia Tech on Friday, October 29 before playing Clemson on the road on Sunday, October 31.

 

Photo via Jeffrey A. Camarati/Carolina Athletics.

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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
›