UNC volleyball defeats Virginia, 3-1, on Wednesday afternoon

The No. 25 UNC women’s volleyball team (21-7) defeated Virginia (21-9), 3-1, on Wednesday afternoon in its last home game of the season at Carmichael Arena.

North Carolina mixed up its starting lineup, putting graduate outside hitter Emani’ Foster and graduate setter Taylor Eisert on the court to start the first set.

Graduate middle blocker Alexis Engelbrecht got the match going, blocking Virginia outside hitter Brooklyn Borum’s kill. Two plays later, Eisert set the ball to Engelbrecht who spiked it to the middle of the court, putting UNC up by one. North Carolina started to pull away after sophomore setter Zoe Behrendt sent the ball over to the left side, where sophomore outside hitter Safi Hampton smacked it cross-court. 

Up by seven, junior libero Maddy May made an incredible dig to keep the play alive, leading to an Eisert and first-year middle blocker Jackie Taylor connection that extended the lead 17-9. The Hoos started to creep back, gaining points from UNC’s errors, but could not make the comeback and the Tar Heels took the first set 25-19. 

“They were putting one-on-one blocks in the middle,” Taylor said. “So I think both me and Alexis, we felt that if you give a middle one-on-one block, you have the ability to turn the ball and find open space.”

North Carolina absolutely dominated the second set, starting on a 5-0 scoring run that prompted Virginia to call a timeout. Back from the break, errors plagued Virginia and North Carolina took advantage of that, extending its lead 10-0 before the Hoos called another timeout.

Up by 14, Virginia finally received a point from a net violation against Eisert. Back-to-back kills from redshirt sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Thorpe gave UNC a 21-point lead and created set point. 

Hampton received the ball from Virginia’s attack, setting it over to Behrendt who set it back over to Hampton who slammed it down to win the set 25-5. 

This is the largest margin of victory in a set since Oct. 14, 2005 when UNC won 30-10 in a set against Georgia Tech and is the largest margin of victory in the 25-point set era that started in 2008. It is also the fewest points UNC has given up in program history. 

“When they did have the opportunity to swing, we were just so sharp,” head coach Mike Schall said. “We didn’t let a ball hit the floor, and our transition game was really good. It’s like you’re just sitting there like, all right, just let it ride out.”

Back on the court, Virginia was fired up and kept the match close, alternating points with UNC. The Hoos started to pull away after a kill by outside hitter Elayna Duprey set up a 4-0 scoring run. 

The Tar Heels had spurts of offensive control but crucial miscues and several plays sent out of bounds put them down six. Kills by Hampton and Engelbrecht brought the gap back to four, but Virginia responded with two kills of its own and UNC took a timeout down 22-16. The Hampton-Behrendt duo scored once again, igniting a short 2-0 scoring run, but it was not enough and Virginia took the third set 25-20. 

This time, it was North Carolina that was fired up, opening with a 5-1 run. After a call was reversed in favor of the Tar Heels, Thorpe and Hampton performed back-to-back kills and extended the lead 11-5. 

Keeping a steady five or six-point lead, North Carolina pulled away and senior outside hitter Mabrey Shaffmaster ended the fourth set, 25-16, with a monster kill from the left side, closing out her career in Carmichael. 

“Now, I’m old,” Shaffmaster said. “And now we’re done. But I’ll miss playing Carmichael.”

UNC will be back in action at Clemson on Friday at 7 p.m. for its last regular season match. 

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