Volleyball Keeps Dancing With First Round Win Over Yale

Friday, December 6

University Park, Pa.

5 P.M.

North Carolina

23-7,14-6ACC

Yale (NCAA Tournament First Round)

19-6,12-2Ivy League

Yale

North Carolina

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

December 6, 2024 | Volleyball

Box Score

By: Alex Funderburke

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Carolina volleyball team earned a hard fought 3-1 victory over Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, rattling off three straight set victories after dropping the first set.

The Tar Heels four set victory (18-25, 25-13, 25-17, 25-20) was the first NCAA Tournament win since Dec. 3 against Coastal Carolina.

Three Tar Heels finished with double digit kills. Emani' Foster led the way with 13 kills. She also added six digs and four blocks.

After dropping the opening set, the Tar Heels came out swinging, jumping out to a 4-1 lead behind two kills from Mabrey Shaffmaster. The Bulldogs were able to make it a 10-8 Tar Heel lead but then Carolina rattled off seven of the next eight points. The Tar Heels would keep up a balanced attack and finish the set with a 25-13 win to even it up at 1-1.

The Bulldogs opened the third set hot, racing out to an 8-3 lead. After the Tar Heels cut it to 13-12, Yale made it 14-12. After that, UNC went on a dominating 11-0 run to take command in the set going up 23-14. The Tar Heels went on to win the set 25-17. The set was powered by a balanced attack with seven different Tar Heels registering kills with no one having more than two.

The fourth set was a game of runs. The Tar Heels used a 7-0 run to take a 7-1 lead early on. Yale followed that shortly after with a 5-0 run to knot things up at 11-11. Next, the Tar Heels rattled off a 5-1 run to go up 16-12. Carolina had a 7-0 run to put the match away, taking a commanding 23-14 lead. A 6-1 Yale run, made it closer, but a Shaffmaster kill ended the set and the match.

The Tar Heels will face off with host Penn State Saturday at 6:30 PM at Rec Hall in the second round.