UNC women's frisbee team reflects on program after fourth consecutive championship

UNC boasts accomplished teams across many sports, but Tar Heels might not be aware of how far that talent spans. 

For the past four years, the women's club ultimate frisbee squad has become an underground force.

In May, the Pleiades defeated Stanford University in the Division I championships, 15-10, to secure their fourth consecutive national championship. This feat continues a long streak of success on the field. Since being founded in 1995, the Pleiades have made 13 national appearances. They hold a streak of seven national appearances. After the Pleiades' victory in the 2023-24 championship, the team became No. 1 in Ultiworld’s College D-1 Women’s Power Rankings in June. 

This rich history of success has led the Pleiades to push for new heights. 

“I always want to win, and this year was no different," graduate cutter and 2024 player of the year Dawn Culton said. "I would say that there was a drive to win from me, from the other players and from the coaches — more than an expectation to win."

The success of the Pleiades stems from dedication and hard work from the players.

The team practices for two hours, four times a week and are encouraged to lift, run and throw outside of practice. With weekend tournaments that can require travel, the Pleiades put considerable time into their athletics as well as balancing schoolwork and other commitments. 

“Obviously, we've had a lot of success these past couple years, but it is the result of a lot of work being put in for the past probably 10 years now,” graduate handler Theresa Yu said.

The Pleiades lived up to these aspirations and completed an impressive season, finishing with a record of 41 wins and three losses. In their run to the national championship victory, the Pleiades won all four games in pool play against SUNY-Binghamton, Oregon, California-Santa Cruz and California-Santa Barbara.

Following those four games, they advanced to the quarterfinal where they defeated Carleton College with a final score of 11-10, and took down Colorado in the semifinal with a score of 14-13. 

“We had a few close games: Oregon in pool play, Carleton in quarters, Colorado in semis," Culton said. "We were down by a lot in the Colorado game. I’ve never seen some of my teammates care as hard and try as hard as they did in that game. We won that game off of sheer willpower.” 

Of course, this success stems from the dedication of the players, but also from head coach Jessica Jones. 

“Jones is the best coach in the division, full stop," Culton said. "No one has created as many incredible players — especially from true rookies — as she has, and no one has coached a team to four straight championships in the college women’s division before.” 

The long hours put into practice and games have created strong friendships among the members of the Pleiades, as well as developed a culture of support for new and returning players alike.

“Everyone has a lot of love for each other," Yu said. "Especially for Pleiades, a lot of people come in without having played, so I think there is a big culture of ‘don’t harp on your mistakes.’” 

As the 2024-25 season approaches, the Pleiades will have another opportunity to continue crafting their own team identity and reaching for new heights. 

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