University of North Carolina Athletics
Sunday, October 19
Syracuse, NY
2 PM
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Photo by: DALTON T. WAINSCOTT
#21 Volleyball Downs Syracuse Behind Career Days From Malone & Cozza
October 19, 2025 | Volleyball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - No. 21 Carolina volleyball extended its win-streak to nine and moved to a perfect 8-0 in ACC play with a four-set (25-23, 23-25, 25-11, 25-13) win over Syracuse.
Freshman Bridget Malone and Sienna Cozza had career days. Malone had a career-high nine kills and Cozza had a career-high 22 assists.
It was a back-and-forth first frame with each side feeling each other out, but a 4-0 Carolina run to get to the first set media break gave it a 15-13 lead. Jackie Taylor came out of the break with an ace to make it 16-13. UNC used another run to force a timeout from the Orange, making it 22-18. A 3-0 Syracuse run made it 22-21 before Taylor put an end to it with a kill. Chelsea Thrope closed it out with a kill to win the first set 25-23. On her 21st birthday, Zoe Berhendt racked up nine first-set assists.
Tied at 4-4 early in the second, the Tar Heels used a 4-0 run to give themselves some distance. That grew to a 9-2 extended run before Syracuse used their second and final timeout of the set. Syracuse climbed back into it with a 7-1 run to make it 16-15 Carolina, before a Tar Heel timeout. Cuse knotted things up at 22-22 forcing UNC to use its last timeout of the set. The Orange took the second set, ending the set on a 6-1 run despite the Tar Heels hitting .375 in the frame.
Bridget Malone didn't play in the first two sets but was a spark plug in the third. She guided UNC to a 13-8 lead behind five kills, forcing a Syracuse timeout. A 4-0 Heels run, with two more kills from Malone, pushed the lead to 17-10 and caused the Orange to call another timeout. Seven kills in the set is only one shy of her career high for a match, which she has done twice. The Tar Heels pulled the third set out 25-14 to get back in the driver's seat.
A 7-1 Carolina run broke a 3-3 tie in the fourth to give it control. It was all Tar Heels after that, never letting Syracuse have hope and rolled to a 25-xx win to clinch the match.
UNC heads back to Chapel Hill now for two straight weekends at home with four matches.
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Freshman Bridget Malone and Sienna Cozza had career days. Malone had a career-high nine kills and Cozza had a career-high 22 assists.
It was a back-and-forth first frame with each side feeling each other out, but a 4-0 Carolina run to get to the first set media break gave it a 15-13 lead. Jackie Taylor came out of the break with an ace to make it 16-13. UNC used another run to force a timeout from the Orange, making it 22-18. A 3-0 Syracuse run made it 22-21 before Taylor put an end to it with a kill. Chelsea Thrope closed it out with a kill to win the first set 25-23. On her 21st birthday, Zoe Berhendt racked up nine first-set assists.
Tied at 4-4 early in the second, the Tar Heels used a 4-0 run to give themselves some distance. That grew to a 9-2 extended run before Syracuse used their second and final timeout of the set. Syracuse climbed back into it with a 7-1 run to make it 16-15 Carolina, before a Tar Heel timeout. Cuse knotted things up at 22-22 forcing UNC to use its last timeout of the set. The Orange took the second set, ending the set on a 6-1 run despite the Tar Heels hitting .375 in the frame.
Bridget Malone didn't play in the first two sets but was a spark plug in the third. She guided UNC to a 13-8 lead behind five kills, forcing a Syracuse timeout. A 4-0 Heels run, with two more kills from Malone, pushed the lead to 17-10 and caused the Orange to call another timeout. Seven kills in the set is only one shy of her career high for a match, which she has done twice. The Tar Heels pulled the third set out 25-14 to get back in the driver's seat.
A 7-1 Carolina run broke a 3-3 tie in the fourth to give it control. It was all Tar Heels after that, never letting Syracuse have hope and rolled to a 25-xx win to clinch the match.
UNC heads back to Chapel Hill now for two straight weekends at home with four matches.
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Team Stats
UNC
SU
Kills
64
41
Errors
19
21
Attempts
124
140
Hitting %
.363
.143
Points
76.0
51.0
Assists
62
38
Aces
6
4
Blocks
6
6
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Kills
14
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
0
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