No. 20 Volleyball Wins Sixth Consecutive Match Over Duke, 3-1 - University of North Carolina Athletics

Thursday, November 12

Durham, N.C.

6:30 PM

North Carolina

17-6,12-3ACC

Duke

16-9,8-7ACC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
North Carolina	25	20	25	25	3
Duke	18	25	19	21	1

Match Notes

Photo by: DALTON WAINSCOTT

November 12, 2026 | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

DURHAM, N.C. – No. 20 Carolina volleyball beat Duke 3-1 (25-18, 20-25, 25-19, 25-21) on Thursday night for its sixth consecutive win in the series.

Meghan Clifford had a career night with a career-high eight blocks and a career-high-tying five kills. Fellow middle Sadie Swift stepped into the lineup and added six kills and six blocks.

Duke scored the first point of the match then UNC went on a 4-0 run to regain the lead. Duke responded with an 8-2 run to take the lead and force a timeout. UNC tied it at 14-14 and, after a successful challenge, took a 15-14 lead into the media timeout. After that, UNC dominated, outscoring the Blue Devils 10-4 to win the set 25-18. Swift had three blocks in frame and Chelsea Thorpe led the way with three kills.

Duke responded by taking set two to even the match up at one apiece. It marked the first set dropped to the Blue Devils since Nov. 24, 2023.

Whatever was said in the locker room between sets worked, because UNC raced out to an insurmountable 8-1 lead. Safi Hampton exploded for five kills in the set and Clifford had an insane five blocks in just the third. Laynie Smith added four blocks in the frame as well. UNC went on to take the set 25-19.

UNC had to rally in the fourth. With Duke up 20-17, Thorpe settled things down with a kill. Then an error from Duke cut the deficit to just one. Duke went back up two with a kill and then the Tar Heels flexed their muscles. Hampton had a kill to make it 21-20 and then head coach Mike Schall called a timeout. He used it to get Erin Curtis in the match to serve and she delivered. She instantly got an ace to tie the set at 21-21, then Thorpe got a kill to take the lead as Duke called timeout. Hampton got a kill out of the timeout to make it 23-21 then a Duke error made it 24-21 and Clifford closed things out with a kill off an overpass.

UNC has now won six consecutive matches against Duke and 11 of the last 12. The Tar Heels now welcome the Blue Devils to Carmichael Arena on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ACC Network.