The Dance Continues For Volleyball, Besting UTEP 3-1

Thursday, December 4

Madison, Wis.

5:30 PM

North Carolina

22-8,14-6ACC

#6-Seed UTEP

25-5,15-1CUSA

North Carolina

UTEP

Photo by: Dan Sanger

December 4, 2025 | Volleyball

Box Score

MADISON, WISC- Carolina volleyball won three straight sets against the UTEP Miners (26-24, 25-11, 25-18, 25-21) to advance to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.

Carolina will take the winner of Eastern Illinois or Wisconsin on Friday.

The Tar Heels had a phenomenal all-around showing in the first game of the postseason. Carolina never trailed against the Miners in the last three sets. Carolina also held the Miners to .079, the lowest hitting percentage of the season, on 24 more attacks than Carolina. UTEP entered today's match in the top ten of the entire country in terms of hitting percentage. The Miner's previous low was .185 against SMU. Today's win was also the first time this season they have hit under .100 as a team. Carolina also had more digs and 10 more blocks than the Miners, which was the seventh time this season the Carolina has had at least 15 blocks as a team.

The first set was a series of runs for both Carolina and UTEP. The Miners jumped out to a 14-9 lead in the first set, but Carolina battled back with a 6-0 run to tie the set at 14. The miners then followed that up with their own 5-1 run. The Tar Heels responded with another 6-2 run to tie it at 22-22. The Miners ultimately took the lead for good, winning 26-24.

Carolina bounced back in the second set with 10-2 start, which included back-to-back service aces from Jackie Taylor. The aces were part of a 3-0 opening run in which the Tar Heels took the lead for good and never gave it back. The Tar Heels continued to apply pressure, extending their early lead to 10, 15-5. Bridget Malone came off the bench and sent home three kills and two blocks. The Tar Heels won their first set of the postseason 25-11.

The Miners kept the third set closer, tying it twice in the first six points, but after Carolina went up 9-5, the opposition never brought it any closer than four points for the rest of the third set, as Carolina brought home the penultimate set by seven points, 25-18.

For the second time in the match, the Tar Heels opened with a 3-0 lead behind at least one service ace from Taylor. The Miners railed as they tied the set four times including at 19, but Carolina closed out the win with a decisive 6-2 run winning 25-21.