The Old Dominion was very kind to the UNC volleyball team this week. Two days after earning a road win over Virginia Tech, the Tar Heels went up to Charlottesville, VA, and completed a dominant sweep over Virginia. It’s also a measure of revenge for Carolina, who lost at home to the Cavaliers earlier this season.

The win pushes the Tar Heels over the 20-win plateau for the first time since the 2016 season, when the team finished 29-4. That was also the last season in which Carolina competed in the NCAA Tournament.

UNC took control early in the first set, dropping the first two points but then winning the next five. A 6-1 run in the middle of the frame turned a 17-14 lead into a 23-15 advantage, before kills from Amanda Phegley and Mabrey Shaffmaster closed out the set victory.

Carolina had to fight back from a deficit in the second set, as the Cavaliers came out strong to lead 9-7. UNC then completely flipped the script by ripping off a 10-2 extended run, powered by kills from Shaffmaster and Kaya Merkler. Virginia had no answer for the run, and the Tar Heels used the momentum to finish off the second set by a 25-17 margin.

The third was no contest: Carolina won the first five points and never looked back in a dominant effort. Shaffmaster and Phegley once again spearheaded the offensive attack, earning kills on nine of UNC’s 25 points in the set. Shaffmaster put in a service ace to give the Tar Heels match point, and then it was Merkler who finished the job with her eighth kill of the match. Carolina won the third set 25-11 to earn its 12th sweep of the season.

“I’m very proud of the team today,” head coach Joe Sagula said after the match. “I really liked their focus and energy. We really needed to come out and play our style of volleyball. It was also one of our best serving matches of the year. We had a very balanced attack.”

Carolina served seven aces on the afternoon, including four from sophomore Olivia Diaz. Shaffmaster led the Tar Heels with 14 kills, while no one on Virginia had more than eight. The Tar Heels have only two matches left in the regular season, the first of which will be Senior Day in Carmichael Arena. Carolina will host a Miami side which took a five-set thriller from the Tar Heels earlier this season.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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
‹
This Week in UNC Sports: August 31-September 6, 2026
This series of posts will be made weekly on Chapelboro with a full schedule of UNC sports contests, both in Chapel Hill and elsewhere. Note that game times and broadcast information are subject to change due to inclement weather or other factors. The first week of September means that fall sports are well and truly […]
UNC Volleyball Begins 2026 Season With Consecutive Sweep Victories
The UNC volleyball team is off to a 2-0 start to the 2026 season after straight set victories at Davidson Saturday and at home against UNC-Wilmington Sunday. Opening the season with a true road match for the first time since 2022, the Tar Heels trailed for much of the first set against the Wildcats. Davidson […]
UNC Volleyball Picked 5th in ACC Preseason Poll; 2 Tar Heels Receive All-ACC Honors
UNC has been picked to finish fifth in the ACC’s preseason volleyball poll, and Tar Heels Chelsea Thorpe and Safi Hampton both were named to the league’s preseason All-ACC team. Thorpe enters the final season of her collegiate career after posing 318 kills and 90 blocks in 2025, while Hampton’s 399 kills led the team. […]
UNC Volleyball Releases 2026 Regular Season Schedule
The UNC volleyball program has released its schedule for the 2026 season, the fourth under the leadership of head coach Mike Schall. The Tar Heels are looking to build upon a 2025 season which saw them advance to the NCAA Tournament’s second round. The full slate is set😤 pic.twitter.com/BEs2INXji6 — Carolina Volleyball (@UNCVolleyball) July 14, […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network Takeover
The ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
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 […]
›