'It was not even close': UNC volleyball displays new look in Blue-White Scrimmage

“Love each other, love the game, love Carolina.”

That’s the motto UNC volleyball has adopted this season, with an emphasis on the first phrase. Between the intense rallies and celebratory chest bumps, the love for each other was evident on Friday night at North Carolina’s Blue & White Scrimmage in Carmichael Arena. 

“Our coaches are a big believer [that] as long as we want to play volleyball and do good for each other, then that will be enough to carry us through,” senior outside hitter Mabrey Shaffmaster said. 

It’s not just the senior class that feels the love. In her first time playing in Carmichael in North Carolina blue — and her first time competing against players older than 18 — first-year Julia Bohlinger said the dynamic is fun and the team has a close bond.

“If one person’s on the court [and] one person’s on the bench, both are cheering for each other equally,” Bohlinger said. 

While contagious joy is at the heart of UNC volleyball, the Tar Heels have greater ambitions than smiles and laughter this season. Second-year head coach Mike Schall hopes his squad can be one of the 64 teams to qualify for the NCAA tournament in December, a place North Carolina hasn’t been since 2021. 

In the short-term, however, Schall is excited about position battles leading up to UNC’s first match on Saturday against Cleveland State in Chapel Hill. 

“Our approach is, we’re going to put the people on the floor who’ve earned the opportunity,” Schall said. 

North Carolina boasts a roster of 17 with seven new faces. With three first-years bringing enthusiastic energy to the court, the four seasoned transfers provide much-needed maturity to balance out the squad, Schall said. 

Last season, the Tar Heels amassed a 13-14 record, going 7-11 in ACC matchups. UNC is ranked No. 10 in the ACC preseason poll and will face a difficult schedule ahead, especially when conference play commences on Sept. 27. Three ACC teams are ranked in the top six nationally, including conference newcomer Stanford, who has the most NCAA championships of all time. 

Fortunately, some things haven’t changed for UNC volleyball. Shaffmaster, a three-time All-ACC and all-region honoree, is expected to be one of the top players in the conference and was selected to the preseason All-ACC team. It was evident at the intrasquad scrimmage that the outside hitter kept her arm and her IQ sharp over the off-season. During the scrimmage, Shaffmaster attacked off blocker’s hands, ever-so-lightly tipping the ball to the center of the ten-foot-line and spiking the ball so fast into the middle of the court that even the quickest of defenders can’t get there in time. 

Talent at the pins isn’t limited to Shaffmaster, as the Tar Heels return graduate student Emani’ Foster and sophomore Safi Hampton. To avoid being a one-dimensional offense, UNC must also incorporate middle blockers, right-side hitters and attacks out of the back row. 

Foster and Peyman Yardimci, a senior right-side hitter who transferred from Miami, led the Blue team from above the net. Feeding the ball to Foster and Yardimci was graduate Taylor Eisert, the 2023 Conference USA Setter of the Year, who learned the tempo of her new teammates quickly after spending four years with Middle Tennessee. 

On the White squad, Shaffmaster, Hampton and redshirt sophomore pin hitter Chelsea Thorpe were connecting from the outside and right-side pins with sophomore setter Zoe Behrendt.

Bohlinger found her groove in UNC's libero jersey. The first-year from Windsor, Colorado, didn’t let much drop in the back row and collected multiple aces. 

North Carolina will have some fine-tuning to do ahead of its first official showcase on Saturday, but it’s already clear this year’s group is improving steadily and players are finding their fit in positions, Shaffmaster said. 

“I told all my coaches this already, but based on last year’s scrimmage," Shaffmaster said,  "it was not even close to what this year’s was.” 

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