Three wins over Duke in one season? Not too shabby for the UNC volleyball team. The Tar Heels earned their 21st victory of the season Friday night by beating the Blue Devils in five sets in Durham, their third win of the year over their arch rivals.

The teams alternated set victories throughout the match, with UNC taking close decisions in sets one and three, and the Blue Devils edging Carolina in sets two and four. Duke never led in the first frame after UNC took the first three points, with big kills from Mabrey Shaffmaster, Kaya Merkler and Amanda Phegley getting the job done for the Tar Heels down the stretch. UNC fought off two set points in the second set to even the score at 24-24, but two straight points from the Blue Devils meant the frame went the way of the hosts.

The third set strongly resembled the first, with Carolina jumping out to a lead and then keeping Duke at arm’s length throughout. The set got a little too close for comfort for the Tar Heels after the Blue Devils denied UNC on five straight set points, but Shaffmaster finally shut the door for a 25-22 victory.

Duke turned the tables in the fourth set, taking control with a 5-1 run midway through and fighting off every Carolina comeback attempt. UNC closed to within 20-19 but could get no closer, dropping the set 25-21 and sending the match to a first-to-15 fifth set.

With little room for error, Carolina came out hot in the fifth and never looked back, winning nine of the first 13 points on the strength of three kills from Shaffmaster. More offense from Nia Parker-Robinson earned Carolina a match point, which Meghan Neelon converted in style with a service ace. The fifth set went the way of the Tar Heels by a 15-9 score. Carolina has now won seven of their past eight meetings with Duke.

For the match, Shaffmaster set a career-high with 27 kills. Parker-Robinson and Merkler followed with 17 and 14 kills, respectively. Neelon racked up a match-high 53 assists.

Head coach Joe Sagula’s team finishes the regular season with a 21-8 record, their best mark since the 2016 team went 29-4. At 10-8 in ACC play, they are tied for sixth in the conference standings with Notre Dame. Though there is not an ACC Tournament in volleyball, the Tar Heels are in good shape to secure an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The bids will be announced Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

 

Featured image via Duke 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 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 […]
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.
›