The Dean Smith Center had its largest crowd of the year for a volleyball game, even though most of the fans that showed were there for reasons other than volleyball. North Carolina hosted archrival Duke in a volleyball showdown before Late Night with Roy would take the floor. Duke came into match at 16-3, 6-1 in the ACC and tied for first. UNC entered at 8-9, 4-1 in the ACC and in second place.
Almost immediately, the Tar Heels played with more coordination than in the last few games. They set up solid blocks and led most of the first game by two points. Duke tied it up at 17, but UNC pulled through and won the first set 25-22 on a Duke service error.
The Blue Devils began the second set with a vengeance. Duke charged out to an 8-3 early in the set. A few errors by Duke and some solid kills by the Tar Heels brought UNC back in the game. UNC tied the game up at 14 and stayed with the Blue Devils, but Duke ultimately put the game away and won 25-16.
After the half, UNC came out striking. The Tar Heels nailed kills early in the set to open up a 14-6 lead. At times in the set, Duke appeared out of place. That allowed UNC to open the lead even more and dominate Duke to a 25-16 win.
The final set was neck and neck until UNC scored four straight to lead 23-19. Duke answered back with two straight points, but to no avail. Sue Haydel and Branagan Fuller knocked down the final kills to seal the upset win for the Tar Heels.
