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UNC Volleyball 2026-2027

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3397char

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Last season UNC advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAAT by upsetting 6 seed UTEP, then losing to 3 seed Wisc.
Finished with a 22-9 record, 14-6 in conference for 6th place

Final AVCA ranking: 19th
RPI Ranking: 43rd

The roster: All appear on the 2026 spring roster. Note - the Yr at the end of each player indicates years since high high school, possible future eligibility calculation

Returning Starters:
  1. 6-0 Sr setter Zoe Behrendt 4Yr
  2. 6-1 Sr outside hitter Safi Hampton 4Yr
  3. 6-3 Jr opposite hitter Laynie Smith 3Yr
  4. 6-1 Jr middle blocker Jackie Taylor 3Yr
  5. 6-3 Gr opposite hitter Chelsea Thorpe 5yr
Key Returning Players:
  • Heavy rotation with the starters:
  1. 5-11 Jr libero Julia Bohlinger 3Yr (played in 113 of 117 sets)
  2. 5-9 So setter Sienna Cozza 2Yr (played in 74 of 117 sets)
  3. 6-3 Sr right side Hailey Pearce 4Yr (played in 96 of 117 sets)
  4. 6-2 Gr middle blocker Lauren Schutter 5Yr (played in 96 of 117 sets)
  • Lighter rotation, but significant contributions:
  1. 5-10 Jr setter Emily Bobbitt 3Yr (played in 45 of 117 sets)
  2. 6-4 So middle blocker Meghan Clifford 3Yr (played in 16 of 117 sets)
  3. 6-0 Jr outside hitter Erin Curtis 3Yr (played in 21 of 117 sets)
  4. 6-1 So outside hitter Bridget Malone 2Yr (played in 38 of 117 sets)
Losses:
  • Maddy May - starting libero graduated
  • Shea Cadence does not appear on the spring roster; I am not sure if she transferred out or is not currently on the team for another reason. My guess is she just graduated with eligibility remaining. Her socials are private. She played minimally last season.
So we lose only one contributor from last year. No indication that anyone has transferred out. I also have no indication that anyone transferred in, and no new names on the spring roster. We currently stand at 17 players, one short of the roster limit, so it is possible we get a late grad transfer, though unlikely at this point

Links:
2026 Roster
2025 Stats

2026 Freshman Class:

Name​

Position​

Rankings​

Awards​

High School​

Club​

Carly Markham
already enrolled		5-8 DS/LiberoPrepdig.com #139 nationally, #4 in NC
prepvolleyball.com #8 player in Atlantic Coast Region		Team USAV NTDP in 2022
2025 JVA Girls’ All-National Team Class of 2026		Apex Friendship
Triangle Volleyball Club
Lindley Miller
already enrolled		6-4 OH/OPPNC All-RegionGreen Level in Cary, NCTriangle Volleyball Club
Addison West6-2 Outside HitterPrepdig.com #59 nationally, #1 in NB
Maxpreps Top 10 hitter in the 2026 class		2025 AVCA 2nd Team A-A
NB 2025 Gatorade POY
Omaha World-Herald Super Six: NB 1st Team All-State		Omaha Skutt Catholic in NBPremier Nebraska Volleyball

2027 High School Commitments:

Name​

Position​

Rankings​

Awards​

High School​

Club​

May Durrill6-4 Middle Blocker3-star recruitMissouri All-StateMary Institute Country Day School in MOHigh Performance STL 17 Royal
Kalia Kroth5-10 outside hitter/Librero/DSPrepdig.com #98 nationally. #4 in IL
#6 VB player in IL		prepvolleyball.com HM A-A
AVCA HM A-A
AVCA All-Region
IVCA/GLR 1st Team All-State		DePaul College Prep in IL1st Alliance VBC
Marlie Smith5-10 setterPrepVolleyball #17 recruit nationally, #3 setter in the 2027 class
#26 recruit nationally and the 5th ranked setter
Prepdig.com #17 nationally, #4 Setter, #1 in MI		AVCA 3rd Team AA
PrepVolleyball 2025 U-16 1st Team A-A
VBallRecruiter.com 2025 U-16 1st Team A-A
AAU 16 Open MVP & A-A
AAU 14 Open A-A
StateChamps Mich POY Finalist 2025 & 2026 (soph & Jr)
Mich All-State 2nd Team as a soph
2025 & 2026 Team USA NTDP invite		Clarkston in MILegacy Volleyball Club (2x national champs)

Note: if the proposed "5-for-5" rule is passed by the NCAA then the large majority of the roster will gain another year of eligibility. It appears the following players will have used all 5 years:
  1. Thorpe
  2. Schutter
  3. Swift
While it is highly likely that some player(s) transfer out, especially as grad students, on paper right now we stand at 17 women for the 2027 season, leaving room for one additional 2027 recruit or 1 transfer after the upcoming season. If the 5-for-5 rule does not pass, we currently have 4 spots open on the 2027 roster.

The 2025-26 Volleyball thread
 
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3397char

3397char

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The Heels will play in Turkiye, Slovenia and Italy May 28th through June 8th



goheels.com

Volleyball Announces European Tour - University of North Carolina Athletics

Carolina volleyball head coach Mike Schall announced that the program will go on a foreign tour to Europe this summer.
goheels.com goheels.com

Known OOC games per @volleyballer1 :
  • vs Colorado State
  • vs JMU
  • vs South Carolina
  • Vanderbilt in New York
  • @ Kentucky as part of Showdown at Net
  • @ Nebraska
www.on3.com

UNC Volleyball 2025-2026 - Page 12 - Forums

UNC voted 5th in the ACC preseason poll and Safi Hampton is a preseason first-team https://theacc.com/news/2025/7/30/womens-volleyball-2025-preseason-all-acc-volleyball-team-and-coaches-poll-announced.aspx we finoshed last season in 5th place, were in the others receiving votes category on the...
www.on3.com www.on3.com
 
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volleyballer1

Freshman
Nov 24, 2025
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this program has the potential to be a Top 10 team this season and I firmly believe contend for the ACC title. We were so close to knocking off Pitt last year at home and played every top team, except Stanford, extremly tight.

We are senior heavy so we need to do it this year so we can build moving forward.
 
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Jriv23

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2025
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Wow, what a huge donation. This is putting a lot of pressure on the other schools to keep up with them.
 
3397char

3397char

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edited OP to add 2027 roster cap projection with and without the 5-for-5 rule.
 
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minas823

Sophomore
Oct 13, 2025
79
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Couple of 28’ verbals to report -
5 star by prep dig and #24 nationally 6’3 MB Julia Clarke
5’9 Líbero Riley Ko
 
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3397char

3397char

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First 2028 Commits! (That I know of)

Julia Clark is a 6'2" Middle Blocker from GA


Riley Ko is a 5'9" Libero from VA
UNC Camp Alumnus
  • AVCA Phenom Watchlist
  • Prep Dig 2028 DMV (DC/MD/VA) #2 Ranked Libero
  • Prep Dig 2028 DMV #7 Ranked Overall


Chika Onukwhuga is a 5’10”outside hitter from MD

  • Prep Dig 2028 #3 player in DMV
 
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Jriv23

All-Conference
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We are coming up in the recruiting which is a good sign. The program is moving up and headed in the right direction IMO. A testament to the HC and his staff. Go Heels!
 
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