No. 24 Carolina Volleyball opened ACC play with a four-set win at NC State on Friday night, grinding out a 28-26, 25-20, 23-25, 25-16 victory in front of a sellout crowd in Raleigh.
Safi Hampton delivered her most complete performance of the season, matching a team high with 16 kills and adding 13 digs for her first double-double of the senior year. She hit .368, her best mark when taking 15 or more attacks.
UNC also controlled the net, piling up 15 blocks for a new season high. Jackie Taylor set the tone there with a season-best 10 blocks, while Laynie Smith added eight blocks and 10 kills.
The Tar Heels had to survive a long, tense opening set after falling behind 3-0. They recovered to level it at 5-5 and briefly moved ahead 9-8 before NC State answered to make it 11-11.
Carolina then ripped off four straight points behind a Bridget Malone kill, a Julia Bohlinger ace, a Malone-Taylor block, and a Smith kill. Even then, the Wolfpack kept coming, tying the set at 22-22 and then fighting off two UNC set points to reach 24-24.
Carolina answered NC State’s set point, too, before Malone and Chelsea Thorpe finished the job with kills to steal the set 28-26.
Set two followed a similar script early, with neither side able to create much separation. After the teams traded points to 2-2 and then 5-5, Carolina found another gear and went on a 10-3 surge to build a 15-8 cushion. NC State trimmed the margin late and even erased three set points, but Lauren Schutter and Bridget Malone ended it with a block to close out a 25-20 win.
NC State stayed alive by taking the third set, but Carolina took control quickly in the fourth. The Tar Heels jumped out to a 6-1 lead, held a 15-11 edge at the media break, and then stretched that advantage with three more points to go up 18-11.
After NC State used its final timeout, UNC kept the pressure on, scoring five of the next seven points to move in front 23-13. Bridget Malone, the birthday girl, sealed the match with a kill for the 25-16 finish.
Malone ended the night with 10 kills and a career-high tying four blocks.
In Other News...
UNCs Bye Week Just Made Its Quarterback Decision Feel Urgent
North Carolinas early bye week arrived with a little more intrigue than anyone in Chapel Hill probably wanted. The Tar Heels are 2-1 after opening the season with two wins, but the loss to Clemson has sharpened the conversation around Billy Edwards Jr., whose play has been inconsistent enough to fuel speculation about whether the staff will stick with him or look elsewhere under center.
Miles O'Neill, the Texas A&M transfer, is now part of a decision that feels more immediate than it did a week ago. The staff has to weigh whether continuity gives UNC the best chance to steady itself or whether a change at quarterback could provide the spark it needs heading into the next stretch of games, and the uncertainty alone has made the bye week feel anything but quiet. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Malone May Have Revealed Isaiah Denis UNC Role
Michael Malone has already offered a small glimpse into how Isaiah Denis might fit with North Carolina this season, and it starts with a nickname. The Tar Heels coach has been calling the sophomore guard Bones, a nod to former Denver Nuggets guard Bones Hyland, while also using Denis at point guard in practice. For a player whose freshman year was slowed by injury, that is a meaningful sign of trust and a reminder that the staff sees more than just another guard in the rotation.
The point-guard work matters because it hints at a larger backcourt role, one that could let Denis operate as a versatile perimeter threat rather than a one-position option. If the comparison to Hyland is any indication, North Carolina may be preparing to lean on Denis for shot-making, pace and creativity as he gets healthier and settles in. The exact shape of that role is still unfolding, but the early usage suggests the Tar Heels have a clear plan in mind. [Read more 🡒]
Leaky Black Has Another Shot To Earn The NBA Chance UNC Wanted
Leaky Black is getting another NBA look, this time with the Sacramento Kings after signing a training camp deal. The former UNC standout spent part of last season with the Washington Wizards, appearing in 15 games before being released in July, and now gets a fresh chance to show the kind of value that has followed him through the pro ranks.
Black has already logged experience in both the NBA and G League, and his calling card remains his defensive versatility. For a player whose game has long been built around doing the little things, camp is another opportunity to prove he belongs in an NBA roster spot and perhaps finally turn that potential into something more permanent. [Read more 🡒]