UNC’s sports calendar thins out a bit this week, but there’s still no shortage of Carolina Blue on the move. With football on its final off week of the season and most of the other action wrapped up after Sunday, the spotlight shifts to tennis, a road trip for swimming and diving, and a full slate of other teams trying to keep momentum rolling.
The biggest ongoing event belongs to both tennis squads, which remain in Tulsa for the ITA All-America Championships. The tournament runs from Saturday, 9/19 through Sunday, 9/27, giving both Carolina teams a chance to chase the fall’s biggest collegiate championship on the court.
UNC’s swimming and diving team also opens its season this week, and it does so away from Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels head to Charlotte for their first meet of the year on Friday, 9/25, when they compete at Queens University at 11 AM.
Women’s soccer carries one of the week’s loudest results into its next test. After Thursday’s explosive second-half surge against Duke, Carolina heads north to face Virginia on Friday, 9/25 at 7 PM in Charlottesville. That win over the Devils stood out not just because it was a rivalry result, but because Carolina took control after Duke had arrived with plenty of momentum of its own.
Volleyball is finally stepping into ACC play after a demanding non-conference stretch that included matchups with some of the nation’s top teams. The Tar Heels didn’t have much luck in their trips to SEC schools and managed only one set against Nebraska, but those matches gave them a clear look at the level they’re trying to reach. They stay on the road this weekend, with the action remaining in state for fans following along.
Field hockey is still searching for answers in what has become Erin Matson’s toughest season so far. The Tar Heels dropped another one to Virginia on Sunday, and the roster situation remains unsettled as the program waits on the result of a lawsuit that could make three players, including Ryleigh Heck, eligible this year even though many believed they had already graduated last year. Carolina now heads to California for a pair of Bay Area games, and the schedule does not ease up.
Cross country, meanwhile, has already shown some promise. In Charlottesville, both the men and women finished first overall in the team event, and they’ll try to keep that momentum going at the Princeton Meadows Challenge in New Jersey on Saturday, 9/26 at 9:30 AM.
Women’s lacrosse is also back in action, though these September games are more about building than counting in the standings. Jenny Levy’s team is using the fall to bond, work in new players, and get ready for a run back to the national title game next spring.
Their home slate this weekend will be played at the Finley North complex instead of the usual venue, and both games are free to attend. Carolina faces Duke on Saturday, 9/26 at 10 AM, then Richmond at 12:30 PM.
Men’s soccer is coming off a 2-1 loss to Clemson on Saturday, a result that left the Tar Heels still searching for their first ACC win. Carolina does have two draws in conference play, but the overall start has been a rough one. The team will step away from ACC competition for the next week or so before diving back into the league schedule.
In Other News...
Henri Veesaars Injury Leaves UNC Fans With A Brutal What If
Henri Veesaars path from Chapel Hill to the NBA had barely gotten started when a workout on Sept. 15 changed the picture entirely. The former Tar Heel and 52nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft had just signed a four-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks, making him one of the latest UNC products to reach the league.
Instead, the MRI and subsequent evaluation at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex revealed a torn right ACL, an injury that will require surgery and keep him out for the entire 2026-27 season. For UNC fans, it is the kind of setback that turns a promising next step into a painful what-if, especially for a player whose pro future had only just begun to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Henri Veesaar Just Suffered A Brutal Setback Before His NBA Debut
Henri Veesaars path to the NBA hit a major roadblock this week, after the big man suffered a torn right ACL during a workout. The injury is severe enough to require season-ending surgery, and the Atlanta Hawks confirmed the diagnosis while saying Veesaar is scheduled to undergo the operation in October.
For a player still trying to turn pro momentum into an NBA debut, the timing could not be much tougher. Veesaar now faces a long recovery that will almost certainly push his first appearance to the 2027-28 season, a painful delay for a prospect who had been working to get his career underway. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs Clemson Collapse Put Several Tar Heels Roles Under The Microscope
North Carolinas ACC opener turned into a frustrating one in Clemson, where a halftime lead gave way to a loss that left several rotational questions hanging over the Tar Heels. The game also came against a shifting personnel backdrop, with C.J. Sadler ruled out because of an off-field incident and other receivers, including Humphrey, seeing their roles expand in his absence.
On the ground, Hall looked like the most reliable presence in the offense, playing 38 of 70 snaps while rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown to reinforce his status as the primary back. On defense, Harvey logged 47 of 72 snaps, while Donovan Hoilette Jr. was on the field for an unexpectedly heavy 56, a usage pattern that suggests the Tar Heels are still sorting out exactly where some of these pieces fit after a game that exposed plenty more than the final score. [Read more 🡒]