Volleyball Opens Home Slate With 3-1 Win Over Bucknell

Friday, September 5

Chapel Hill, N.C.

7 PM

North Carolina

3-0,0-0ACC

Bucknell

0-4,0-0Patriot

Bucknell

North Carolina

Photo by: DALTON T. WAINSCOTT

September 5, 2025 | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Carolina volleyball remains undefeated in season home openers in the Mike Schall era as Carolina took down Bucknell (25-11, 25-15, 25-20, 25-15) to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The Tar Heels game out of the gates swinging as they shut down the Bison 25-11 as Safi Hampton continued her hot streak as she hit .566 in the first set with six kills.

For the third straight match, three Tar Heels landed double-digit kills, and for the second straight match, Hampton, Haley Pearce, and Chelsea Thorpe rained down 10+ kills. Hampton led the way with 16, and the other two were tied with 11.

The setters had themselves a day as the trio of Zoe Behrendt, Emily Babbit, and Sienna Cozza chipped in double-digit assists. The last time a Tar Heel trio achieved this feat was last season against Notre Dame, when Taylor Eisert (22), May (11), and Behrendt (20) did so.

Carolina dropped the second set, but bounced back and rattled off two straight set wins to secure the win.

All 17 Tar Heels saw action, 11 of whom recorded at least one kill. The combination of Hampton, Pearce, Thorpe, Laynie Smith, and Jackie Taylor is proving to be an unstoppable, balanced force. Those five Tar Heels accounted for 55 kills, 10 blocks, and 17 digs

The Tar Heels return to Carmichael on Sunday, Sep. 7, against Oral Roberts at noon on ACC Network Extra.