UNC Volleyball 2026-2027

volleyballer1

Freshman
Nov 24, 2025
37
87
18
The sky is not falling....we were swept by #3 not be #60 in the country....

I hope we have learned JB needs to be the sole libero moving forward. She is more fundamentally sound and ready that Markham.

Our Serve recieve is limiting us....when we are an offensive based team with a solid block, we have to have good passing to score and we did not have that tonight.

Safi does not look as good this year as last. Maybe its a slump or the setting...but she has to snap out of it. Id be willing to see West come in and play if she does not get it together.

As good as Chelsea and Laynie can be, they forget to RIP THE BALL. way to many tips and soft shots that wont go against UK.

Bridget has taken a major leap in game and leadership. She is the dawg this team needs.

I have hope for this team to still be a Top 16 team...but Vanderbilt does concern me. They serve well and are much bette fundamentally this year.
 

Jriv23

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2025
2,397
2,456
113
The sky is not falling....we were swept by #3 not be #60 in the country....

I hope we have learned JB needs to be the sole libero moving forward. She is more fundamentally sound and ready that Markham.

Our Serve recieve is limiting us....when we are an offensive based team with a solid block, we have to have good passing to score and we did not have that tonight.

Safi does not look as good this year as last. Maybe its a slump or the setting...but she has to snap out of it. Id be willing to see West come in and play if she does not get it together.

As good as Chelsea and Laynie can be, they forget to RIP THE BALL. way to many tips and soft shots that wont go against UK.

Bridget has taken a major leap in game and leadership. She is the dawg this team needs.

I have hope for this team to still be a Top 16 team...but Vanderbilt does concern me. They serve well and are much bette fundamentally this year.
All the teams in the SEC are good from top to bottom. This will be another good test for our team moving forward. I think our HC needs to put West in for both Sefi and Malone just to give them a breather or to. He should continue to put in freshman Markham for a breather for JB. He must help these two players gain valuable experience by playing them and not letting them just rot on the bench. Pearce needs to play as well. She played a ton last year. Is she in the dog house or something? She is a senior with tons of college experience. One of the analyst who played Volleyball with Stanford back in 2002-2006 and was really good stated that UNC should have ran a 5-1 like Nate1972 suggestion on the other thread. Coach needs to change it up some. If one thing is not working try something else. I am surprised neither him nor his assistants came up with this idea. He must coach better when we play the top level teams. I am sure that top level recruits are looking at how or if he is able to make adjustment during the game. These student athletes are a lot wiser and smarter now.
 

ThreeDHeel

Freshman
Jul 31, 2025
41
70
18
I would have found some room for Scoggins when she called after she entered the portal from Arizona. Her setting is better than anything we have. But Mike told her "I dont have room for you"
 
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bradarb08

Senior
Aug 1, 2025
342
777
93
I would have found some room for Scoggins when she called after she entered the portal from Arizona. Her setting is better than anything we have. But Mike told her "I dont have room for you"
To be a little fair, her passers are making it much easier on her than our passers are making it on our setters. Agree she is a good setter.
 

Jriv23

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2025
2,397
2,456
113
I would have found some room for Scoggins when she called after she entered the portal from Arizona. Her setting is better than anything we have. But Mike told her "I dont have room for you"
Why would he tell her that. I would have took her and found a way to make the room space for her. Now, we just lost two games against quality opponents and having her on this team could have helped us tremendously. I am starting to wonder about him now.
 
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volleyballer1

Freshman
Nov 24, 2025
37
87
18
We should have won this game. they are still in year 2 of having a team, and we bring back eveyone from a successful year, had a foreign tour, etc...

Our same deficiencies that limited us last year are obviously still there. I think unless we go on a absolute tear in ACC play, you can kiss the top 16 seed gone unless Vandy turns out to be a top 3 SEC team which I doubt.
 

uncjhodges

All-Conference
Sep 1, 2025
1,842
4,981
113
We should have won this game. they are still in year 2 of having a team, and we bring back eveyone from a successful year, had a foreign tour, etc...

Our same deficiencies that limited us last year are obviously still there. I think unless we go on a absolute tear in ACC play, you can kiss the top 16 seed gone unless Vandy turns out to be a top 3 SEC team which I doubt.
we seem a bit worse imo
 

HarlemHeel

Senior
Jul 31, 2025
175
964
93
Malone did not have a bad game. My observation of the team on Sunday in NYC is that players are extremely frustrated with the coaching staff.
 

volleyballer1

Freshman
Nov 24, 2025
37
87
18
If we are being honest...we are only still ranked because of the AVCA poll being based off Inertia....and that Nebraska gets to face a "top 25 team"

We are in no way playing like we deserve to be ranked and I hope that lights a fire in us.

I hope West gets to play Friday in her home state. I trust the staff, but at some point, these athletes on the roster have hit their peak passing abilities and we have to recruit passers....our offense has not proven to be good enough to overcome the SR woes.

After Nebraska we face a good FGCU team and then have to travel to Raleigh to play a better NCSU this year...
 

ThreeDHeel

Freshman
Jul 31, 2025
41
70
18
Why would he tell her that. I would have took her and found a way to make the room space for her. Now, we just lost two games against quality opponents and having her on this team could have helped us tremendously. I am starting to wonder about him now.
I'm sure a lot had to do with NIL. Which I was very surprised at what they are paying for volleyball players.
 

3397char

All-American
Moderator
Jun 30, 2025
3,656
7,657
113
Passing has accurately been identified as an issue for this team. relying on my limited skills at analysis,I would say that our central blocking and dig ability are also not at a top 25 level.

our starting rotation has Hampton on the back line , starting at the serve. This keeps three OPP/OH on the court pretty constantly. This is basically the do-everything role we had Shaffmaster in a couple of years back. Hampton is a solid server and can spike quite well from the back. But, I think Hampton’s ability to return serve and dig is still a work in progress.
 
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81Heel/M1

Senior
Jul 30, 2025
391
857
93
My apologies for obviously clicking on the wrong thread. Wishing the Volleyball team good luck in Nebraska.
 
Last edited:

bradarb08

Senior
Aug 1, 2025
342
777
93
Intermat has now ranked the wrestlers for the 2026-2027 season, and the results are a little interesting. Keep in mind these are pre-season rankings, and there is a lot to get fleshed out in early season action. Below I will provide the comparison on rankings, Intermat, Flo, and WS, and to the extent possible I will provide a composite/average ranking. Note that Flo only ranks the top 24 wrestlers and Intermat only does the top 33 at each weight. Also, WS does a ranking for everyone, and a separate ranking with only starters ranked. I will be using the ranking with only starters included unless otherwise noted.

I should also point out that Intermat is ranking O'Neill at 149 vs. the other 2 services appear to be ranking (or not ranking) Askew at this weight. All of the services appear to be ranking Levy as the heavyweight starter, and all I can say is either they know something we don't or they are waiting to see Neves appear back on the mat before they move him to the starter role. With those caveats here is how our wrestlers are currently ranked.

125 - McCrone (Intermat=9, Flo=11, WS=8: Composite= 9)
133 - Botello (IM=14, Flo=16, WS=14: Comp=15)
141 - Simcox (IM=12, Flo=9, WS=15: Comp= 12)
149a - O'Neill (IM= 28, Flo - not ranked, WS = Not a Starter but 14 at 141)
149b - Askew (IM = not ranked, Flo = not ranked, WS = 55)
157 - Root (IM= 23, Flo= not ranked, WS= 24: Comp= 25)
165 - Hepner (IM= 4, Flo= 6, WS= 7: Comp= 6)
174 - Ogunsanya (IM= 13, Flo=15, WS= 15: Comp= 14)
184 - Hansen (IM=12, Flo= 12, WS= 15: Comp= 13)
197 - Platt (IM=26, Flo= not ranked, WS= 26: Comp= 26)
285a - Neves (IM= not ranked, Flo= not ranked, WS= 24 for all wrestlers/not ranked as a starter)
285b - Levy (IM= not ranked, Flo= Not ranked, WS= 34 as the starter and 47 with all wrestlers listed)

This year's freshman class (with their Flo rankings) includes:
125 - Sibomana: Big Board (Flo top 100) ranking = 97, and #9 at 120 pounds
125 - Littleton-Mascaro: Not in top 100
174 - Nafshi: Big Board = 54, and #8 at 175
174 - Gault: Not in top 100
184 - Kelly: Big Board = 52, and #6 at 175
197 - Jipp: Big Board = 39, and #7 at 215
285 - Alvarez: Big Board = 64, and #6 at 285

Note that Alvarez, like Hepner is likely not available until after the first semester due to football. Of note he was the first reserve to get meaningful snaps on the OL, even though he did not participate in spring training and only had summer workouts and 6 weeks of camp/games before becoming the number 2 right guard. It will be interesting to see how much he plays this week against Clemson, as ETSU was not a great measure of his readiness to step into the lineup.
This is the volleyball thread.
 

Jriv23

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2025
2,397
2,456
113
Intermat has now ranked the wrestlers for the 2026-2027 season, and the results are a little interesting. Keep in mind these are pre-season rankings, and there is a lot to get fleshed out in early season action. Below I will provide the comparison on rankings, Intermat, Flo, and WS, and to the extent possible I will provide a composite/average ranking. Note that Flo only ranks the top 24 wrestlers and Intermat only does the top 33 at each weight. Also, WS does a ranking for everyone, and a separate ranking with only starters ranked. I will be using the ranking with only starters included unless otherwise noted.

I should also point out that Intermat is ranking O'Neill at 149 vs. the other 2 services appear to be ranking (or not ranking) Askew at this weight. All of the services appear to be ranking Levy as the heavyweight starter, and all I can say is either they know something we don't or they are waiting to see Neves appear back on the mat before they move him to the starter role. With those caveats here is how our wrestlers are currently ranked.

125 - McCrone (Intermat=9, Flo=11, WS=8: Composite= 9)
133 - Botello (IM=14, Flo=16, WS=14: Comp=15)
141 - Simcox (IM=12, Flo=9, WS=15: Comp= 12)
149a - O'Neill (IM= 28, Flo - not ranked, WS = Not a Starter but 14 at 141)
149b - Askew (IM = not ranked, Flo = not ranked, WS = 55)
157 - Root (IM= 23, Flo= not ranked, WS= 24: Comp= 25)
165 - Hepner (IM= 4, Flo= 6, WS= 7: Comp= 6)
174 - Ogunsanya (IM= 13, Flo=15, WS= 15: Comp= 14)
184 - Hansen (IM=12, Flo= 12, WS= 15: Comp= 13)
197 - Platt (IM=26, Flo= not ranked, WS= 26: Comp= 26)
285a - Neves (IM= not ranked, Flo= not ranked, WS= 24 for all wrestlers/not ranked as a starter)
285b - Levy (IM= not ranked, Flo= Not ranked, WS= 34 as the starter and 47 with all wrestlers listed)

This year's freshman class (with their Flo rankings) includes:
125 - Sibomana: Big Board (Flo top 100) ranking = 97, and #9 at 120 pounds
125 - Littleton-Mascaro: Not in top 100
174 - Nafshi: Big Board = 54, and #8 at 175
174 - Gault: Not in top 100
184 - Kelly: Big Board = 52, and #6 at 175
197 - Jipp: Big Board = 39, and #7 at 215
285 - Alvarez: Big Board = 64, and #6 at 285

Note that Alvarez, like Hepner is likely not available until after the first semester due to football. Of note he was the first reserve to get meaningful snaps on the OL, even though he did not participate in spring training and only had summer workouts and 6 weeks of camp/games before becoming the number 2 right guard. It will be interesting to see how much he plays this week against Clemson, as ETSU was not a great measure of his readiness to step into the lineup.
You put this in the wrong thread. This is for women's volleyball.
 

Jriv23

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2025
2,397
2,456
113
Best set of the year by far. We’ve brought markham in for set receive for Malone and it’s significantly helped

Best set of the year by far. We’ve brought markham in for set receive for Malone and it’s significantly helped
This is what I have been saying all along, he needs to play Markham and West some. I know they are freshmen but they both were highly ranked coming out of high school. I am afraid that if he does not play them some, they are going to hit the portal after the season is over.
 

Jriv23

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2025
2,397
2,456
113
Really bad 1st and 4th sets. Good 2nd and 3rd.

Can't afford to drop any ACC games beyond the highly ranked teams, or else we won't have a resume to be in the tournament.
I agree. I do like them playing ranked teams because the experience, lesson learned is so valuable. Also, these teams are going to expose areas of weakness as well as show our team areas of growth. Those games should also help with the mental and confidence aspect because our young ladies will know that we can hang with the top 10 teams in the nation. Go Heels!
 

TAHeel

All-Conference
Aug 4, 2025
1,017
1,407
113
That second set was really well played, only Nebraska's 2nd dropped set of the season, and frankly we really could've had the 3rd. There were a number of points we controlled and Nebraska just made a huge play a couple times to flip the set.
 
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