University of North Carolina Athletics
Saturday, August 29
Davidson, N.C.
2:00 PM
North Carolina
1-0,0-0ACC
3
at
0
Davidson
1-1,0-0Atlantic 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Davidson | 22 | 17 | 22 | 0 |
Photo by: DALTON WAINSCOTT
Volleyball Opens 2026 Season With Sweep Of Davidson
August 29, 2026 | Volleyball
DAVIDSON, N.C. – Carolina volleyball earned a season-opening sweep on Saturday afternoon at Davidson (25-22, 25-17, 25-22). Carly Markham made her collegiate debut, getting the start at libero.
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The Tar Heels had a balanced attack with four players registering at least six kills. Chelsea Thorpe led the way with 11 while hitting .500 to go with two blocks.
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In the first set Davidson came out fast, racing out to a 3-0 lead before Safi Hampton got the first two Carolina points of the 2026 campaign with a kill and an ace. The Wildcats continued to fight, pushing out to a 12-7 lead before a 5-1 Tar Heel run cut the deficit to just one. UNC would finally take the lead with an Emily Bobbitt ace to make it 17-16. Davidson regained the lead at 20-19 but a 3-0 Carolina run made it 22-20. That was the last lead change of the set, with Carolina taking it 25-22.
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The second set was much smoother for the Tar Heels. Davidson grabbed a 6-5 lead, and that would be the last lead it held in the set. Carolina hit .407 in the frame while holding the Wildcats to just .032.
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The third set was a back-and-forth affair with the two sides trading two-point leads until UNC finally broke the trend and took an 18-15 lead thanks to a Bridget Malone kill. Davidson got right back into things, using a 5-2 run to tie things up at 20-20. Carolina settled things down and outpaced the Wildcats, 5-2, to close out the sweep.
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It is a quick turnaround for the Tar Heels, who have their home opener on Sunday at 4 p.m. against UNCW.
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The Tar Heels had a balanced attack with four players registering at least six kills. Chelsea Thorpe led the way with 11 while hitting .500 to go with two blocks.
Â
In the first set Davidson came out fast, racing out to a 3-0 lead before Safi Hampton got the first two Carolina points of the 2026 campaign with a kill and an ace. The Wildcats continued to fight, pushing out to a 12-7 lead before a 5-1 Tar Heel run cut the deficit to just one. UNC would finally take the lead with an Emily Bobbitt ace to make it 17-16. Davidson regained the lead at 20-19 but a 3-0 Carolina run made it 22-20. That was the last lead change of the set, with Carolina taking it 25-22.
Â
The second set was much smoother for the Tar Heels. Davidson grabbed a 6-5 lead, and that would be the last lead it held in the set. Carolina hit .407 in the frame while holding the Wildcats to just .032.
Â
The third set was a back-and-forth affair with the two sides trading two-point leads until UNC finally broke the trend and took an 18-15 lead thanks to a Bridget Malone kill. Davidson got right back into things, using a 5-2 run to tie things up at 20-20. Carolina settled things down and outpaced the Wildcats, 5-2, to close out the sweep.
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It is a quick turnaround for the Tar Heels, who have their home opener on Sunday at 4 p.m. against UNCW.
Players Mentioned
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
L/DS
/ Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
UNC
DC
Kills
40
35
Errors
12
22
Attempts
98
117
Hitting %
.286
.111
Points
54.0
47.0
Assists
38
33
Aces
6
6
Blocks
8
6
Game Leaders
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
9
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Saturday, August 29
Saturday, August 29
Saturday, August 29
Friday, August 28