Head coach Joe Sagula’s UNC volleyball team is red-hot. The Tar Heels picked up their third sweep of the week, and second in 24 hours, handily defeating Davidson Saturday afternoon to move to 11-0.

As with Charlotte on Friday night, Carolina used extended runs to bury their opponent. A 13-3 run in the first set turned a 5-3 deficit into a 16-8 lead, and kills from Kaya Merkler and freshman star Mabrey Shaffmaster ensured the Tar Heels wouldn’t give up that lead. UNC won the first set, 25-16.

A 7-0 run for Carolina in the second gave them a comfortable 12-6 lead early on. The Tar Heels had no trouble putting the second frame to bed, as Shaffmaster picked up two kills down the stretch of a 25-19 set win. She finished the match as the team leader in kills, with 13.

The third and final set proved to be the most competitive. Unlike the first two frames, Carolina never had a run of more than three points won in a row. But they also never trailed by more than three, and turned around a late 21-19 Davidson lead with kills from Shaffmaster and Merkler. Finally, it was Nia Parker-Robinson putting home match point, sealing an eleventh consecutive Carolina victory to start the season.

UNC finishes the non-conference schedule a perfect 11-0 (their earlier win over Duke was not counted as a conference game), the first time the team has taken a perfect record into ACC play since 2016. Carolina will have to wait and see if they appear in next week’s national polls, where also resides their next opponent: the No. 4 Pittsburgh Panthers. Pitt also sports a spotless record, meaning next week’s clash in Carmichael Arena will be a battle of undefeated squads.

 

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 […]
›