For one set at least, it looked like the UNC volleyball team might drop its fifth match in a row Friday night. The visiting Wake Forest Demon Deacons had stolen the thunder from Carmichael Arena and won the first set handily, 25-18. This came after the Tar Heels had won the first four points of the match.

But UNC used a concerted effort to stave off every Wake Forest run, and took the next three sets in a row to earn its first ACC win, and first win overall in five matches.

Carolina fought off a 5-0 Demon Deacon run in the second set which knotted the score at 10-10, and despite never building a sizable lead, still never trailed for the rest of the frame. Wake Forest tied the score again at 20-20, but a kill and a block from Nia Parker-Robinson ensured the second set would belong to the home team.

The Deacons held a lead for the first half of the third set, but lost it for good when a 5-0 Tar Heel run turned a 14-12 deficit into a 17-14 advantage. Carolina would use another 6-0 run to put away the set for good, by a 25-18 score. Parker-Robinson, Emily Zinger and Amanda Phegley picked up kills in the run, with a block from Phegley and teammate Kaya Merkler on set point finishing off the frame in style.

A tightly-contested fourth set saw Wake Forest use a 5-1 run to tie things at 21, with an eye toward a first-to-15 fifth set. Two critical kills from Mabrey Shaffmaster and Zinger gave the Tar Heels a slim advantage, before Olivia Diaz took things into her own hands. She served an ace to give Carolina a match point, then decided to simply do it again. A second straight ace sealed the match and sent Wake Forest home emptyhanded.

“This was a defining night for our team,” head coach Joe Sagula said after the match.

The back-to-back aces were Diaz’s first two of the year through 16 matches. Parker-Robinson once again led the team in kills with 17, though Shaffmaster was just one behind. Merkler and Phegley combined for eight blocks at the net.

Now winners for the first time in nearly a month, the volleyball team will try to start another winning streak when Virginia Tech comes to Chapel Hill Sunday afternoon.

“We want to build on this, especially playing well in Carmichael,” Sagula said. “Now we get to focus on our Sunday match and find ways to make continued progress to win the weekend at home.”

 

Featured image via 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 Volleyball's 2025 Season Ends vs. No. 3 Wisconsin in NCAA Tournament
No. 3 seed Wisconsin swept UNC in three sets in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night in Madison. Carolina’s 2025 season is over. The Badgers dominated the first set and won 25-14, earning an early advantage in the match. But the Tar Heels stayed close in the second, cutting what had been […]
UNC Volleyball Beats No. 6 UTEP in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
UNC rebounded from dropping the first set to beat No. 6 seed UTEP in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Madison, WI Thursday night. Last four in. Unseeded. Don’t matter. Heels in 4️⃣#GoHeels | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/y0ZqBT163a — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) December 5, 2025 UNC had a chance to steal the opening set after […]
UNC Volleyball to Face No. 6 UTEP in NCAA Tournament 1st Round
The UNC volleyball team is headed to the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season. The Tar Heels will face No. 6 seed UTEP in the tournament’s first round Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Eastern time in Madison, WI. It’s all about the Heels 🫡 pic.twitter.com/7FbGHNaxbw — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) December 1, 2025 The winner of […]
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 […]
›