A tight match throughout could’ve easily turned Clemson’s Jervey Gymnasium into a haunted house for the UNC volleyball team, but the Tar Heels ensured their Halloween would be a happy one in a three sets to two win Sunday afternoon.

A 25-17 UNC win in the first set was the most lopsided score of the back-and-forth affair. Carolina used two separate 6-0 runs in the frame to take the lead and hold it for the victory.

After that, the match would be nip-and-tuck until the very end. The Tar Heels fought back from an early 5-1 hole in the second set, eventually tying the frame at 23 points apiece before the Tigers prevailed, 25-23.

Carolina jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the third set, but a determined Clemson side wouldn’t let the Tar Heels out of their sights. The Tigers used a 5-0 run to take a 19-17 lead, and later led 22-20, with an eye toward taking a two sets to one lead in the match. But clutch kills from Amanda Phegley and Mabrey Shaffmaster, along with a Ryan Shannon service ace, powered a 5-1 Carolina run to end the set and claim a critical 25-23 win.

In the fourth set, UNC overcame an 8-2 extended run by the Tigers to lead 16-15, but Clemson wasn’t about to let Carolina get out of South Carolina without a fight. The hosts dominated the end of the fourth set, winning 10 of the final 14 points to take the frame, 25-20, and force a best-of-15 fifth set.

Carolina looked to be in good shape midway through the final set, leading 9-5 and just six points from a win. But once again, Clemson fought back in the clutch, winning two straight match points to even the score at 14-14. Shaffmaster stopped the Tigers’ momentum with a kill to earn UNC a third match point, and a Clemson attacking error finally brought an end to the marathon. The Tar Heels took the fifth set by a 16-14 score to win the match. It was their third five-set victory this season.

Shaffmaster finished as the team leader in kills with 20, followed closely by Phegley and Nia Parker-Robinson with 16 each. Kaya Merkler recorded two solo blocks and four block assists.

UNC is now 18-5 overall this season, and 7-5 in conference play after the scare. Carolina will return home next weekend for two tough matches inside Carmichael Arena. The first comes against a solid Notre Dame team on Friday, while the following Sunday sees the undefeated Louisville Cardinals, ranked No. 2 in national polls, come calling.

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