Volleyball Adds Four Transfers

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Head volleyball coach Mike Schall announced four transfer portal additions to the roster on Tuesday afternoon.

"One of the realities of college volleyball is that recruiting never stops," Schall said. "Each of the student-athletes we were able to bring to Carolina filled specific needs to enhance the competitiveness and culture of our program. We continue to be proud of where we are and excited for where we are going as a program."

Emily Bobbitt makes her way to Chapel Hill after spending her freshman season at Iowa State where she played 61 sets through 20 matches. She recorded a career-high 25 assists against Wake Forest and recorded two double-doubles in her lone season in Ames. She totaled 245 assists, 109 digs, seven kills, five aces, and two blocks from the setter position. The North Carolina native went to Corinth Holders High School where she recorded 680 kills, 665 assists, 493 digs, 143 aces, and 72 blocks in three seasons. She made the PrepVolleyball Class of 2024 Top 150 ranked at No. 95.

"We are thrilled to welcome Emily back to North Carolina," Coach Shall said. "We had evaluated Emily throughout her high school and club careers, but it was not a position of need for us at the time. She works hard and is a good problem solver from the setter position. We like the competitiveness that she brings to Carolina."

Mackenzie Boyer joins Carolina from LSU. The redshirt sophomore is from Austin, Texas where she was on the 2022 AVCA Under Armor All-American watchlist after leading her district with 132 total blocks which ranked 29th in the state of Texas in 2021. She helped Vandegrift win its district with a 39-10 record and placed 5th in the State Tournament in 2021. She racked up 314 kills in her 2022 season.

"Mackenzie has been limited in seeing action on the court but has made tremendous progress in her two years at LSU. She hits well off one foot and in front of the setter. Most importantly, Mackenzie is hungry to compete and help us continue to make progress as a program."

Hailey Pearce comes to the Tar Heels after an impressive two seasons at Virginia Tech. The Charlotte, N.C. native started 29 matches last season, appearing in 30. She played in all 109 sets the Hokies played accumulating 331 kills, 14 assists, 18 aces, 150 digs, six block solos and 35 block assists. She led the team in kills (331), kills per set (3.04) and points (372.5). As a freshman she appeared in 17 matches, making 15 starts. She recorded 122 kills, averaging 2.22 kills per set. In high school she tallied 1,176 kills with a hitting percentage of .301.

"Having played against Hailey for the past two seasons, we are excited to have her on our side of the net. Hailey will train primarily on the left side, but she is also comfortable playing on the right. Hailey wants to be great and help Carolina compete at the highest level."

Laynie Smith joins the Tar Heels after one season at Illinois where she was third on the team in kills (244) and blocks (83). She registered 12 games with double-digit kills, including a career-high 14 against Minnesota. She tailed seven kills, two assists, and four blocks in the NCAA Tournament this past season. In high school, the Chapel Hill native was named to the top-125 for the Class of 2024 by Prep Volleyball, to the Prep Volleyball nationals' all-tournament teams twice. She was also selected to compete in the Under Armour All-American games.

"Laynie was a steady contributor during her freshman year at Illinois last fall, and we are looking forward to seeing her in Carolina blue. We feel like we watched Laynie grow up as a player at Chapel Hill High School and Triangle Volleyball Club, and we can't wait to see her family friends in Carmichael Arena. Laynie is a great fit on the court for us and is a high character young person."

Players Mentioned

Emily Bobbitt

Mackenzie Boyer

Hailey Pearce

Laynie Smith

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