Malone Has Career Night As No. 19 Volleyball Wins Five Set Thriller Over Colorado State

Friday, September 4

Chapel Hill, N.C.

6:00 PM

North Carolina

4-0,0-0ACC

Colorado State

2-2,0-0Pac-12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Colorado St.	19	21	25	25	14	2
North Carolina	25	25	21	18	16	3

Photo by: DALTON T WAINSCOTT

Malone Has Career Night As No. 19 Volleyball Wins Five Set Thriller Over Colorado State

September 4, 2026 | Volleyball

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Cammi Connolly

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- No.19 Carolina Volleyball (4-0) remains undefeated after a 5-set battle against Colorado State (2-2) on Friday, September 4th, in Carmichael Arena (25-19, 25-21, 21-25, 18-25, 14-16).

Bridget Malone had a career night, racking up 23 kills, five digs, and four blocks. She shattered her previous career-high of 12 kills. She also became the first Tar Heel since Safi Hampton against SMU on Oct. 31, 2025 to have 20+ kills in a match.

The Tar Heels claimed set one 25-19, with help from Jackie Taylor, who lead the squad with three blocks, and kill leader Malone, who got past the Rams block six times. Zoe Behrendt also earned four assists, leading the first set.

Carolina saw themselves down by five points on four separate occasions during the second set,but the Tar Heels never wavered. After climbing back to 19-19, Chelsea Thorpe and Taylor picked up a massive block, giving the Tar Heels a 20-19 lead. The set was sealed by three kills from Thorpe, Taylor, and Safi Hampton. Behrendt and Taylor tacked on two aces as well, giving the Tar Heels a 25-21 win.

Offense wasn't the only reason the Tar Heels won the set, as Carolina's libero Carly Markham pushed herself to the top of the leaderboard by the end of the second set with 10 digs.

Colorado State responded in the third set, taking it by a score of 25-21 to force a fourth set.

The fourth set followed a similar pattern to the third set, as the Tar Heels found themselves in a seven-point deficit to the Rams before the Tar Heels eventually fell 25-18.

The fifth set was pacing itself just as the third and fourth, with Carolina being down four points two separate times and not taking the lead. Carolina continued to stay in the game with a late challenge from Schall, bringing the score to just a two-point difference of 12-10. Malone then looked for her 23rd kill of the night, putting the Tar Heels on level with the Rams at 14-14. With another kill from Hampton and a hitting error on the Rams, Carolina claimed the match at 16-14.

Next up UNC will travel to Lexington to face last year's national runner-up No.3 Kentucky on Wednesday, September 9, at 7 p.m. Fans can watch on SECN.