UNC volleyball's season ends in second round of NCAA tournament with 3-1 loss to Penn State

The No. 8-seeded UNC women’s volleyball team (23-8) fell to the No. 1-seeded Penn Statev(31-2), 3-1, in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday night in Rec Hall at Penn State, ending its tournament run. 

The Tar Heels started aggressively, with back-to-back kills by graduate outside hitter Emani’ Foster and senior outside hitter Mabrey Shaffmaster to put UNC up 2-0. 

Shaffmaster led the team in the first set with four kills but committed two service errors in her two times at the service line. 

Throughout the beginning of the opening set, the teams traded points, with UNC keeping a three to four point lead. 

Down 11-10, Penn State started to creep back. But a kill by graduate middle blocker Alexis Engelbrecht set up by graduate setter Taylor Eisert restored North Carolina's two-point lead.

Back-to-back points by the Nittany Lions tied the game at 12 and jumpstarted a 5-0 scoring run for Penn State.

The Nittany Lions, who had been down by four, were now up 20-15. North Carolina’s defense could not respond to the vicious kills of Jess Mruzik and fell 25-21 in the first set. 

North Carolina’s first point was overturned and gave Penn State the momentum to start a 4-1 run in the second set. 

UNC started to see some success using its middle blockers, with Engelbrecht recording North Carolina’s first two points.

“I think our middles have really been able to get the ball a little bit more,” head coach Mike Schall said. “They’ve been very efficient with it. I think it’s part of the process of trying to figure out how you can score points against really good teams.” 

Down 9-4, redshirt sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Thorpe smacked the ball but it was stuffed at the net. Now down by six, North Carolina called a timeout. This was just one of 13 blocks Penn State recorded on the night. 

Back on the court, UNC again used the middle with first-year middle blocker Jackie Taylor setting down a kill. 

Back-to-back solo blocks by Taylor Trammell and the inability to counter Penn State’s attacks, North Carolina found itself calling another timeout down 16-7. 

Shaffmaster helped cut Penn State’s lead to four, posting three kills and back-to-back service aces. 

Despite its efforts for a comeback, North Carolina dropped the second set 25-18.

Tied at five in the third set, Eisert caught the Nittany Lions off guard with her kill. Then, sophomore outside hitter Safi Hampton added to the lead with a service ace.

The Tar Heels started to pull away, with Shaffmaster’s hard-hitting kills leading the way. Penn State wouldn’t be denied though, bringing the score back to a point difference. 

Two kills by Thorpe and another by Hampton put North Carolina up 15-11 at the media timeout. 

In a long back-and-forth rally, Shaffmaster noticed that Penn State was crowding the net. She used this to her advantage, nailing one to the back of the court to put UNC up 20-15. She would go on to lead the team with 12 kills on the night.

Penn State started on a 3-0 scoring run and closed the gap to two points. But three-straight kills by Hampton secured the third set, 25-20, for UNC and sent the match to a fourth set. 

“The only people in that gym that thought we were going to win was us in the locker room,”  Shaffmaster said. “And there was no way we were going to get swept.”

Penn State was quick to respond in the fourth set, going on a 5-0 scoring run and taking the early lead. 

On another 4-0 scoring run and with back-to-back blocks by the Nittany Lions, UNC was down by eight and head coach Mike Schall called a timeout. 

North Carolina could not seem to stop Penn State’s offense and the Tar Heels dropped the fourth set 25-15 to end the season. 

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