UNC Women’s Soccer to Face No. 3 Seed Tennessee in NCAA Tournament 1st Round

The Tar Heels are back in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, though not in the way many thought.

Carolina earned at-large bid to the tournament field Monday afternoon and will play at No. 3 seed Tennessee in Knoxville in the tournament’s first round Friday.

The matchup is an ironic one for the Tar Heels, who opened the season by traveling to Knoxville as the preseason No. 1 team in the nation. However, the unranked Lady Vols sprang a 2-0 upset that night, starting an eventual fall completely out of the rankings for Carolina by season’s end. As for the Lady Vols, they enter the tournament ranked No. 14 in the latest national polls.

UNC finished the regular season 12-6 overall and failed to qualify for the ACC Tournament for just the second time in program history. The conference tournament only features the league’s top six finishers, and the Tar Heels finished seventh. Carolina finished 6-4 in ACC play, but did not beat any of the teams which finished ahead of it in the standings.

The ACC is well-represented in the tournament field. The league accounts for three of the four No. 1 seeds, including No. 1 overall seed Notre Dame. Virginia and Stanford also snagged top seeds. Elsewhere in the field are No. 2 seed Duke, No. 3 Florida State, No. 6 Louisville, No. 7 Wake Forest and No. 8 Clemson. For a full look at the tournament bracket, click here.

This year marks UNC’s 44th appearance in the NCAA Tournament – and also the NCAA Tournament’s 44th year of existence. The Tar Heels have never missed out on the tournament field. Carolina is also seeking its 23rd NCAA title, which would make it the first program to win back-to-back championships in women’s soccer since 2009 – when the Tar Heels did.

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

‹

Men's Soccer Faces The Tribe On 'Local Heroes Night'

The top-ranked UNC men’s soccer team will be aiming to keep its undefeated season in tact when it hosts William & Mary at Fetzer Field at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday.

Former Tar Heels Help U.S. Women's National Team To International Friendly Win

THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS – With the help of five Tar Heels, the U.S. women’s national soccer team earned a comprehensive 3-1 win against the Netherlands in Tuesday’s International Friendly. Former Tar Heel Tobin Heath scored the match’s opening goal followed by two from teammate Christen Press. All five Carolinians, including Ashlyn Harris who went the whole […]

UNC's Tyler Hansbrough, Eddie Pope Elected to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

Former UNC standouts Tyler Hansbrough and Eddie Pope are part of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026, the Hall announced Monday. Hansbrough, Pope and nine other honorees will be inducted May 1 in Greensboro. The honor is just another on a long list for Hansbrough, who is already a member of […]

UNC Women's Soccer's Season Ends in Penalty Shootout in NCAA Tournament Round of 16

UNC couldn’t hold on to a 1-0 lead late in the second half Monday afternoon, and No. 2 seed TCU scored a 90th-minute equalizer before winning on a penalty shootout to end the Tar Heels’ season. Carolina had dominated possession for much of the match, holding decisive leads in both total shots and shots on […]

UNC Men's Soccer Season Ends on NCAA Tournament Penalty Shootout

Carolina played to a penalty shootout for the second straight match Sunday, but the Tar Heels came up short this time on the road against No. 4 Maryland. UNC fell 4-3 in the shootout after the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Carolina’s season is over. The Tar Heels hung tough after Maryland controlled much […]

UNC Women's Soccer Beats No. 6 Texas Tech in Penalty Shootout, Advances to NCAA Round of 16

Carolina went the distance vs. No. 6 seed Texas Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night, defeating the Red Raiders in a penalty shootout after the match ended in a 1-1 draw. After a scoreless first half in which UNC controlled much of the offensive possession and outshot Texas Tech 5-1, […]

UNC Men's Soccer Advances to NCAA Tournament 2nd Round in Penalty Shootout

The fans who came to see UNC face North Florida in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament at Dorrance Field certainly got their money’s worth. The Tar Heels advanced past the Ospreys in a thriller Thursday night, winning 6-5 on a penalty shootout after the match ended 2-2. Heels advance 6-5 on […]

UNC Men's Soccer to Host North Florida in 1st Round of NCAA Tournament

NCAA Tournament soccer is coming back to Dorrance Field. Carolina earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament Monday and will host North Florida in Chapel Hill in the tournament’s first round Thursday at 6 p.m. We’re In…And Hosting 💪 Your Tar Heels will welcome North Florida to Dorrance Field in the NCAA […]

UNC Women's Soccer Upsets No. 3 Tennessee in NCAA Tournament 1st Round

The national title defense for the UNC women’s soccer program will last at least a little longer. Kate Faasse scored a pair of goals to help the Tar Heels upset No. 3 seed Tennessee in Knoxville Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The 3-1 win avenges a 2-0 UNC defeat at […]

UNC Women's Soccer to Face No. 3 Seed Tennessee in NCAA Tournament 1st Round

The Tar Heels are back in the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament, though not in the way many thought. Carolina earned at-large bid to the tournament field Monday afternoon and will play at No. 3 seed Tennessee in Knoxville in the tournament’s first round Friday. Let postseason begin… The Tar Heels will head to Knoxville this […]

›