No. 25 UNC volleyball completes comeback over No. 19 Florida State for 3-2 win

The No. 25 North Carolina women’s volleyball (16-2, 8-1 ACC) team topped No. 19 Florida State (14-5, 6-3 ACC), 3-2, on Friday evening in Carmichael Arena for its second five-set victory in two games.

The Tar Heels, sporting pink Nikes for their “Dig Pink” game, gave the Seminoles their first three points of the match thanks to two wide attacks and a missed serve. After assistant coach Parker Mikesch audibly yelled “reset” following more UNC mistakes, it was time for North Carolina to take a timeout down 9-4. 

UNC put together a 5-0 run to get back in the game, but the FSU backline seldom let the ball hit the hardwood and the frontline knew how to terminate a point. A few more uncharacteristic mishaps by North Carolina, and the Seminoles took set one 25-19.

The second set, however, was dominated by UNC, taking an early 6-1 advantage. This time, it was the Tar Heels playing a clean game and the Seminoles making the unforced errors, leading to an FSU timeout, UNC leading 12-6. This clean North Carolina play was headed by junior libero Maddy May, who crashed into a nearby table in a successful attempt to keep the ball in play. 

The Seminoles tied it up at 18-18 due to holes through a less-than-intimidating UNC block. Unfazed, sophomore outside hitter Safi Hampton exploded for four kills in the last five points to guide North Carolina to a second set win, 25-22, tying the game at 1-1.

“She has grown so much in her game and in her mentality toward the game,” senior outside hitter Mabrey Shaffmaster said. “Just going up there and watching her succeed makes me so happy.”

The lengthy rallies and intense speed of play through the first two sets was thwarted by errors on both sides to open the third set. The Tar Heels used a timeout while down 12-8 after a kill by FSU’s Khori Louis.

Senior outside hitter Mabrey Shaffmaster was getting her kills as per usual, but the Seminole duo of Louis and fellow outside Audrey Koenig had the Tar Heels on their heels. 

Despite big-time swings by the Tar Heels when they needed them most, FSU clung to a narrow lead for nearly all 25 points and clinched the third set 25-22, now leading 2-1 on the match. 

Like the third, the fourth set was slow to start, but this time due to controversial out-of-bounds and attacking violations. Still, behind a lethal top-spin serve by Shaffmaster, North Carolina assembled a five-point spur to lead 12-10. 

Play stayed tight, with both teams interchanging high-powered attacks and scrappy digs. Down 20-19, UNC huddled in for a timeout.

A kill by redshirt sophomore pin hitter Chelsea Thorpe and a pair of aces by Shaffmaster, and all of a sudden it was FSU talking it over down 23-21. 

Coming out of the timeout, it was all about which side could keep the ball from touching the floor — and neither team would let that happen. Hampton tooled the FSU block for a kill and Thorpe followed with a stare-down block in the face of Keonig, which prompted a “simmer down” signal from the head official. UNC took the set 34-32, pushing the game to a 15-point showdown. 

Hampton, with another spurt of excellence, powered in three kills in the span of four points at the start of the fifth set. At 8-3 UNC, the teams switched sides of the court. Out of the gate, graduate outside hitter Emani’ Foster blocked an FSU attack attempt straight to the floor.

“Just put the ball on the floor,” Foster said. “Block the ball, put the ball on the floor, do anything to just upset their side.”

With her arm finishing far across her body, Shaffmaster hit a line shot to propel UNC to a 11-5 advantage, causing all coaches to rise from the bench. FSU met for a timeout. 

North Carolina let a few points fall, but kills by Thorpe and graduate middle Alexis Engelbrecht put the Tar Heels one point shy of victory at 14-9. On the next point, Thorpe delivered the game-clinching cross-court kill just out of reach of Seminole defenders to win, 3-2.

“I don’t want a stat sheet in front of me because it was about all 17 of them,” head coach Mike Schall said. “These guys work so hard every day. I’m just proud of them and I’m thrilled for them that they get to see their effort pay off.”

The Tar Heels will host Miami for their next match on Sunday at 1 p.m.

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