University of North Carolina Athletics
Chloe Humphrey: ILWomen’s No. 1 Freshman
December 21, 2023 | Women's Lacrosse
University of North Carolina women's lacrosse player Chloe Humphrey has been ranked No. 1 in ILWomen's Power 100 rankings, giving the Tar Heels two of the top-5 rookies in the Class of 2023.
The first-year attacker hails from Darien, Connecticut, having played for Darien High School where she finished her prep career with 209 goals, 80 assists and 289 points. A two-time All-American, she was named the USA Lacrosse High School Player of the Year and the USA TODAY National Player of the Year in 2023.
ILWomen's No. 1 Freshman Chloe Humphrey: Compete For Everything
By Riley Kennedy. Originally published for Inside Lacrosse.
The sport started as a love-hate relationship for Chloe Humphrey. In the backyard, she watched her older sisters Nicole and Ashley play it.
"What the heck is this sport," Chloe says.
It was always soccer for her, until she picked up a stick in fifth grade.
Growing up in the Humphrey household, there was chaos with balls flying all over the place. Their mother, Sarah, would balance making dinner and getting her children out of the way. If they took the games outside, someone would run in with a bloody nose or complain about getting hit too hard.
Chloe is the second youngest of four siblings. She had to compete for everything.
With her sisters being closer in age, Chloe would sometimes be left alone when the family would travel. That led to independence at an early age. In first grade, Chloe would climb on top of counters to grab something. She figured out how to cook macaroni and cheese in second grade. Always trying to do what her older sisters did.
If they were playing in the backyard, Chloe would try to do the same tricks with her stick. They would have competitions to see who could do the coolest trick and see what sister couldn't do it. Trying to emulate Kayla Treanor and Katrina Dowd.
First Taste of Carolina Blue
Chloe always knew she wanted to go to Chapel Hill. That's all she knew.
In the fall of 2016, her oldest sister Nicole committed to the Heels during her sophomore year of high school, while Chloe was in sixth grade. The next year, Chloe went to her first UNC winter camp.
"It was only open to eighth graders [and older], so I was just the little sister tagging along with her," Chloe said.
Chloe would follow Nicole and all her friends who were committed to North Carolina. She didn't talk to anyone and took it all in. When she first met UNC head coach Jenny Levy she was up to her waist.
"Every time she spoke my eyes would light up," Chloe said. "It was like celebrity spotting."
Levy and Phil Barnes have been running camps all over the country for years. The camp where they met all the Humphrey sisters, happened to be in Connecticut.
While coaching they saw a little kid running around that struck their eyes immediately.
"At the youngest age when we first met her [Chloe], she could do things that most college kids can't even do now," Levy said.
She wasn't an average seventh grader. In the backyard when Nicole was doing sprints, Ashley would be playing wallball. Chloe would hop in and do sprints then quickly run over to work on her stick work.
After Nicole headed off to college, it was time for Ashley and Chloe to dominate for Darien. This was the first time the two could play together.
One problem: The COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was, like, heart-wrenching," Chloe said. "We had already planned that we were going to wear the numbers 1 and 2 together. We had been training in the backyard imagining what it was going to be like on the field."
After the cancellation of Ashley's senior season, she enrolled at Stanford to continue her lacrosse career.
This left Chloe as the last sister in high school.
Darien High School
Lisa Lindley, a National Lacrosse Hall of Fame coach at Darien High School, coached all the Humphrey sisters.
Initially, Nicole attended Greens Farm Academy, but a phone call one day from their mother paved the transition to Darien High School.
"I was like, if they have aspirations to play DI [lacrosse], you got to make the switch," Lindley says.
Chloe faced some setbacks at first. She missed her freshman year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her sophomore year she battled with a back injury and her junior year she dealt with a hip injury, which led to surgery.
Her senior year was the first time she was healthy. This was also the first time Darien had an undefeated season in school history. They started and ended as the No. 1 team in the nation. In the state championship game against New Canaan, Chloe scored the game-winning goal with 1:13 left.
Undefeated. State champions. National Player of the Year. No. 1 recruit in the nation.
"Like my dad always says, 'Keep playing your game, don't think about any external influence," Chloe said.
At Darien, she accumulated 209 goals, 80 assists, 99 draw controls, 77 ground balls, and 62 caused turnovers.
The Spotlight
This season, Chloe will finally get to put on the UNC jersey that she dreamed of. The crowd's jaws will drop and highlight reels will circulate.
What can people expect from this generational talent?
"Her stick skills are superior," Lindley said. "Her hand speed and her foot speed are equal. Her first step is what is really deceiving."
The quick first step is what separates her from her defender when going to the goal. Lindley says her shot is insane, the way she adapts to various shooting angles.
Chloe is a student of the game. Growing up Chloe and her sisters would watch old UNC games, analyzing every play.
"She plays with a coach's mind and that's such a gift," Levy said. "She's now surrounded by a team that hopefully can function as fast as her brain functions in the game."
Chloe says her competitiveness separates herself from the rest, and that came from a young age competing with her sisters.
"She's both sisters wrapped up into one," Levy said.
Ever since the Humphrey's were young, they all dreamed about wearing the Carolina blue uniform, and now it will happen.
"A dream come true," Chloe said. "Honestly I have to pinch myself sometimes."
See the original article published for Inside Lacrosse here.
Stay up to date with UNC women's lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The first-year attacker hails from Darien, Connecticut, having played for Darien High School where she finished her prep career with 209 goals, 80 assists and 289 points. A two-time All-American, she was named the USA Lacrosse High School Player of the Year and the USA TODAY National Player of the Year in 2023.
ILWomen's No. 1 Freshman Chloe Humphrey: Compete For Everything
By Riley Kennedy. Originally published for Inside Lacrosse.
The sport started as a love-hate relationship for Chloe Humphrey. In the backyard, she watched her older sisters Nicole and Ashley play it.
"What the heck is this sport," Chloe says.
It was always soccer for her, until she picked up a stick in fifth grade.
Growing up in the Humphrey household, there was chaos with balls flying all over the place. Their mother, Sarah, would balance making dinner and getting her children out of the way. If they took the games outside, someone would run in with a bloody nose or complain about getting hit too hard.
Chloe is the second youngest of four siblings. She had to compete for everything.
With her sisters being closer in age, Chloe would sometimes be left alone when the family would travel. That led to independence at an early age. In first grade, Chloe would climb on top of counters to grab something. She figured out how to cook macaroni and cheese in second grade. Always trying to do what her older sisters did.
If they were playing in the backyard, Chloe would try to do the same tricks with her stick. They would have competitions to see who could do the coolest trick and see what sister couldn't do it. Trying to emulate Kayla Treanor and Katrina Dowd.
First Taste of Carolina Blue
Chloe always knew she wanted to go to Chapel Hill. That's all she knew.
In the fall of 2016, her oldest sister Nicole committed to the Heels during her sophomore year of high school, while Chloe was in sixth grade. The next year, Chloe went to her first UNC winter camp.
"It was only open to eighth graders [and older], so I was just the little sister tagging along with her," Chloe said.
Chloe would follow Nicole and all her friends who were committed to North Carolina. She didn't talk to anyone and took it all in. When she first met UNC head coach Jenny Levy she was up to her waist.
"Every time she spoke my eyes would light up," Chloe said. "It was like celebrity spotting."
Levy and Phil Barnes have been running camps all over the country for years. The camp where they met all the Humphrey sisters, happened to be in Connecticut.
While coaching they saw a little kid running around that struck their eyes immediately.
"At the youngest age when we first met her [Chloe], she could do things that most college kids can't even do now," Levy said.
She wasn't an average seventh grader. In the backyard when Nicole was doing sprints, Ashley would be playing wallball. Chloe would hop in and do sprints then quickly run over to work on her stick work.
After Nicole headed off to college, it was time for Ashley and Chloe to dominate for Darien. This was the first time the two could play together.
One problem: The COVID-19 pandemic.
"It was, like, heart-wrenching," Chloe said. "We had already planned that we were going to wear the numbers 1 and 2 together. We had been training in the backyard imagining what it was going to be like on the field."
After the cancellation of Ashley's senior season, she enrolled at Stanford to continue her lacrosse career.
This left Chloe as the last sister in high school.
Darien High School
Lisa Lindley, a National Lacrosse Hall of Fame coach at Darien High School, coached all the Humphrey sisters.
Initially, Nicole attended Greens Farm Academy, but a phone call one day from their mother paved the transition to Darien High School.
"I was like, if they have aspirations to play DI [lacrosse], you got to make the switch," Lindley says.
Chloe faced some setbacks at first. She missed her freshman year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her sophomore year she battled with a back injury and her junior year she dealt with a hip injury, which led to surgery.
Her senior year was the first time she was healthy. This was also the first time Darien had an undefeated season in school history. They started and ended as the No. 1 team in the nation. In the state championship game against New Canaan, Chloe scored the game-winning goal with 1:13 left.
Undefeated. State champions. National Player of the Year. No. 1 recruit in the nation.
"Like my dad always says, 'Keep playing your game, don't think about any external influence," Chloe said.
At Darien, she accumulated 209 goals, 80 assists, 99 draw controls, 77 ground balls, and 62 caused turnovers.
The Spotlight
This season, Chloe will finally get to put on the UNC jersey that she dreamed of. The crowd's jaws will drop and highlight reels will circulate.
What can people expect from this generational talent?
"Her stick skills are superior," Lindley said. "Her hand speed and her foot speed are equal. Her first step is what is really deceiving."
The quick first step is what separates her from her defender when going to the goal. Lindley says her shot is insane, the way she adapts to various shooting angles.
Chloe is a student of the game. Growing up Chloe and her sisters would watch old UNC games, analyzing every play.
"She plays with a coach's mind and that's such a gift," Levy said. "She's now surrounded by a team that hopefully can function as fast as her brain functions in the game."
Chloe says her competitiveness separates herself from the rest, and that came from a young age competing with her sisters.
"She's both sisters wrapped up into one," Levy said.
Ever since the Humphrey's were young, they all dreamed about wearing the Carolina blue uniform, and now it will happen.
"A dream come true," Chloe said. "Honestly I have to pinch myself sometimes."
See the original article published for Inside Lacrosse here.
Stay up to date with UNC women's lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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