Where do the Tar Heels play home games?

The North Carolina Tar Heels play their home volleyball matches at Carmichael Arena on the University of North Carolina campus in Chapel Hill.

How can I purchase tickets?

Tickets can be purchased through the UNC Athletics website, at the Carmichael Arena box office, or through authorized ticket resellers.

What time do doors open for matches?

Doors typically open 60 minutes before the scheduled match time. We recommend arriving early for the best seating options.

What conference is North Carolina in?

North Carolina competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), facing teams like Pittsburgh, Stanford, Louisville, and Duke in conference play.

Where can I find the full North Carolina Volleyball Schedule 2026?

The complete 2026 North Carolina volleyball schedule with every Tar Heels match, opponent, date, time and location is listed on this page above. It is updated whenever the athletic department confirms new times, TV assignments or venue changes.

When does the North Carolina Tar Heels volleyball season start in 2026?

North Carolina opens the 2026 volleyball season in late August with non-conference play, then rolls into ACC matches from mid-September through November. The full 2026 slate leads into the NCAA Tournament in December.

Where do the Tar Heels play their home volleyball matches?

North Carolina plays home volleyball matches at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill. The arena hosts every home date on the 2026 schedule, and doors typically open about an hour before first serve.

How can I watch North Carolina volleyball games in 2026?

Most 2026 Tar Heels matches air on ACC network partners (ESPN, ESPN+, Big Ten Network, ACC Network, SEC Network or FS1 depending on the game). Each row on the schedule above shows the confirmed TV or streaming outlet as soon as it is announced.

Who are North Carolina's biggest 2026 volleyball opponents?

The 2026 schedule features ACC rivalry matches plus marquee non-conference tests. See the schedule table on this page for every Tar Heels opponent, dates and locations for the full 2026 season.

Where does UNC play its home matches?

Carmichael Arena, 310 South Road, Chapel Hill - on campus, a short walk from the Smith Center. It was UNC's basketball home before the Smith Center opened, and the volleyball configuration puts the crowd right on top of the court.

Where can I buy UNC volleyball tickets?

Tickets are sold through North Carolina Athletics. Student admission is free with a valid UNC One Card. The Stanford, Duke and Louisville home matches are the three to buy early.

Rank#19

ACC2026 SeasonTar Heels

North Carolina VolleyballSchedule 2026

Follow the Tar Heels on their journey to championship glory. Get the latest schedules, roster updates, and game information.

4-1

Record

Games

Players

Looking for dates, times and locations? Jump straight to the full North Carolina 2026 slate.

View Schedule

Next MatchAway

North Carolina

Vanderbilt

Sun, Sep 13·2:00 PM

03Days

12Hours

39Min

19Sec

August 2026

4 matches

Friday

Blue & White Scrimmage

7:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Saturday

High Point (Exh.)

2:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Saturday

Davidson

WIN· W 3-0

Sunday

UNCW

WIN· W 3-0

September 2026

8 matches

Thursday

James Madison

WIN· W 3-1

Friday

Colorado State

WIN· W 3-2

Wednesday

#3 Kentucky

LOSS· L 2-3

Sunday

Vanderbilt

2:00 PM · New York, N.Y.

Friday

#1 Nebraska

7 PM CT / 8 PM ET · Lincoln, Neb.

Saturday

FGCU

12 PM CT / 1 PM ET · Lincoln, Neb.

Friday

NC State

7:00 PM · Raleigh, N.C.

Sunday

Wake Forest

4:00 PM · Winston-Salem, N.C.

October 2026

9 matches

Friday

Clemson

7:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Sunday

Georgia Tech

1:30 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Friday

Virginia Tech

6:00 PM · Blacksburg, Va.

Sunday

Virginia

1:00 PM · Charlottesville, Va.

Friday

Notre Dame

6:30 PM · South Bend, Ind.

Sunday

#7 Louisville

1:00 PM · Louisville, Ky.

Friday

California

7:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Sunday

#5 Stanford

8:30 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Friday

Syracuse

7:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

November 2026

9 matches

Sunday

Boston College

2:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Friday

#11 SMU

12 PM CT / 1 PM ET · Dallas, Texas

Sunday

#4 Pitt

1:00 PM · Pittsburgh, Pa.

Thursday

Duke

6:30 PM · Durham, N.C.

Sunday

Duke

1:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Friday

Miami

7:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Sunday

Florida State

1:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Wednesday

#7 Louisville

7:00 PM · Chapel Hill, N.C.

Friday

Miami

1:00 PM · Coral Gables, Fla.

North Carolina Volleyball 2026: Season Outlook & Program Overview

Original analysis of the North Carolina Tar Heels program, coaching staff, and 2026 outlook.

2026 Season Outlook

North Carolina opens the 2026 season on August 29 at Davidson and closes November 27 at Miami: 28 matches, three ranked opponents inside a nine-day stretch, and a program carrying real expectations for the first time in nearly a decade. The Tar Heels enter the year ranked in the AVCA preseason poll for the first time since 2017 and were tabbed fifth in the ACC - the clearest sign yet that Mike Schall's rebuild has landed. The case for a strong season is straightforward: two preseason All-ACC players in Safi Hampton and Chelsea Thorpe, an experienced senior setter in Zoe Behrendt, and the deepest middle-blocking group in the conference, with Meghan Clifford, Mackenzie Boyer, Sadie Swift, Lauren Schutter and Jackie Taylor all legitimate options and 6-4 freshman Lindley Miller arriving behind them. The case for caution is the schedule - Kentucky, Nebraska, Louisville twice, Stanford, SMU and Pitt is a brutal set of measuring sticks, and UNC gets four of the six away from Chapel Hill. The realistic outcome is a top-five ACC finish and a third straight NCAA bid; the floor is still a postseason team, because this roster is too experienced to collapse.

Program History & Tradition

North Carolina has reached back-to-back NCAA Tournaments and, in 2026, earned its first AVCA preseason ranking since 2017 - the clearest markers of Mike Schall's rebuild. The program is also recruiting its own backyard, with in-state players from Apex, Cary, Clayton, Durham and Charlotte on the roster, which matters for a program trying to build a durable identity rather than a one-year portal roster. Home matches are at Carmichael Arena, UNC's basketball home before the Smith Center opened.

Head Coach Spotlight

Mike Schall is in his fourth season at North Carolina. His rebuild has produced back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and, in 2026, the program's first AVCA preseason ranking since 2017, with the Tar Heels picked fifth in the ACC. He has built the roster around size at the net and in-state recruiting rather than annual portal turnover, and scheduled up deliberately - Kentucky, Nebraska, Stanford, SMU, Pitt and a Louisville home-and-home - on the reasoning that seeding in December is not earned on a diet of ACC bottom-half wins.

What to Watch in 2026

Carmichael Arena is small by ACC standards, and that is the point: the volleyball configuration puts the crowd right on top of the court, and for a Sunday-night ESPN match against Stanford it will feel considerably louder than the seating chart suggests. The Stanford, Duke and Louisville home matches are the three to buy early. The number to watch across the season is whether Carolina can steal one of the ranked road matches - beat Kentucky, Louisville, SMU or Pitt away from home and the whole resume changes shape. The frontcourt is the structural advantage: five legitimate middles plus a 6-4 freshman should make blocking a strength.

North Carolina Volleyball 2026 Schedule Overview

Last updated: August 24, 2026

North Carolina opens the 2026 season on Saturday, August 29 at Davidson and closes November 27 at Miami: 28 matches, three ranked opponents inside a nine-day stretch, and a program carrying real expectations for the first time in nearly a decade. The Tar Heels enter the year ranked in the AVCA preseason poll for the first time since 2017 and were picked fifth in the ACC - the clearest sign yet that Mike Schall's rebuild has landed. The non-conference and league slate together bring Kentucky, Nebraska, Stanford, SMU, Pittsburgh and a Louisville home-and-home, with four of those six away from Chapel Hill. All times are Eastern unless noted. Full dates, first-serve times, venues and broadcast assignments are below.

North Carolina opens August 29 at Davidson, ranked in the AVCA preseason poll for the first time since 2017.

North Carolina Volleyball 2026 Photo Gallery

North Carolina Tar Heels volleyball team lined up arm-in-arm at Carmichael Arena after a 2026 season win — On court during the 2026 season

UNC volleyball players celebrating a point against Miami during an ACC match in Chapel Hill — Celebrating a hard-earned point

Carolina volleyball player No. 3 raising both fists in celebration with teammates at the net — Celebrating a hard-earned point

North Carolina volleyball player No. 77 shouting in celebration after a kill during the 2026 schedule — Kill at the net

TV & Streaming Information

Every ACC conference match is carried by ACC Network or ACC Network Extra (ACCNX), with selected dates on ESPN platforms - the Stanford home match is a Sunday-night ESPN window. Non-conference road matches stream on the host school's platform. ACC Network is available on Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Fubo and DirecTV Stream, and ACCNX streams through the ESPN app with a TV provider login. Assignments are typically confirmed shortly before each match. Student admission is free with a valid UNC One Card.

Top Games to Watch

Stanford at North Carolina
Sunday night
The ACC's preseason favorite in a Sunday-night ESPN window at Carmichael. The biggest home date of the year, and the building will feel considerably louder than the seating chart suggests.
North Carolina at Louisville
ACC play
One half of a home-and-home against a preseason top-10 program. Stealing the road leg would reshape the whole resume.
North Carolina at Pittsburgh
ACC play
Pitt has reached five straight national semifinals. One of four ranked road matches on the schedule.
North Carolina at Kentucky
Non-conference
A preseason top-three program away from Chapel Hill, part of a deliberately hard non-conference slate.
Duke at North Carolina
ACC play
The Tobacco Road rivalry at Carmichael, and one of three home dates to buy early alongside Stanford and Louisville.

Key Players to Know

Safi Hampton

Outside Hitter

Senior from Jessup, Maryland at 6-1. Named to the preseason All-ACC team and the player the offense runs through in tight sets.

Chelsea Thorpe

Outside Hitter / Opposite

Graduate from Chicago at 6-3 and the other preseason All-ACC selection. Her positional flexibility between outside and opposite gives Schall matchup options most ACC teams cannot answer.

Zoe Behrendt

Setter

Senior from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin at 6-0. A tall setter changes the blocking math at the net in a way box scores do not capture.

The middle blockers

Frontcourt depth

Meghan Clifford (6-4), Mackenzie Boyer (6-3), Sadie Swift (6-3), Lauren Schutter (6-2) and Jackie Taylor (6-1) give UNC five legitimate middles, with 6-4 freshman Lindley Miller behind them. Blocking should be a strength.

Venue Information

UNC volleyball plays at Carmichael Arena, 310 South Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 - on campus, a short walk from the Smith Center. Carmichael is small by ACC standards, and that is the point: it was UNC's basketball home before the Smith Center opened, and the volleyball configuration puts the crowd right on top of the court. Doors typically open about an hour before first serve, student admission is free with a valid UNC One Card, and campus parking opens for evening events, though football Saturdays change everything. The Stanford, Duke and Louisville home matches are the three to buy early.

Season Expectations

Fresh off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and tabbed fifth in the ACC preseason poll, North Carolina is in unfamiliar territory: expected to be good. The realistic outcome is a top-five ACC finish and a third straight NCAA bid. The ceiling is winning the Stanford match, splitting with Louisville, and playing into the seeding conversation in late November. The floor is still a postseason team - this roster is too experienced to collapse. The number to watch is whether Carolina can steal one of the ranked road matches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who coaches North Carolina volleyball?: Mike Schall, in his fourth season. His rebuild has produced back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and, in 2026, the program's first AVCA preseason ranking since 2017.
Where does UNC play its home matches?: Carmichael Arena, 310 South Road, Chapel Hill - on campus, a short walk from the Smith Center. It was UNC's basketball home before the Smith Center opened, and the volleyball configuration puts the crowd right on top of the court.
Where can I buy UNC volleyball tickets?: Tickets are sold through North Carolina Athletics. Student admission is free with a valid UNC One Card. The Stanford, Duke and Louisville home matches are the three to buy early.

Fan Guide · FAQ

North Carolina Volleyball FAQ 2026

Everything you need to know about North Carolina Tar Heels volleyball

The Squad · Roster

North Carolina Volleyball Roster 2026

Meet the 11 athletes on the North Carolina Tar Heels volleyball team

#22

Safi Hampton

Outside Hitter

Year

Senior

Height

6'1"

Jessup, MD

#77

The leadership behind North Carolina Tar Heels volleyball success

Mike Schall

Head Coach

4 years with the program

Where to Watch

Where to Watch North Carolina Volleyball

Carmichael Arena

Address: 310 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27599

Capacity: 3,500+ fans

Carmichael Arena has been the home of UNC volleyball, providing an intimate and electric atmosphere for every home match in Chapel Hill.

TV & Streaming

Networks: ACC Network, ESPN, ESPN2

Streaming: ACC Network Extra, ESPN+

Can't make it to Chapel Hill? Catch every North Carolina volleyball match on television or streaming platforms.

Heritage · Legacy

North Carolina Volleyball Program History

The North Carolina Tar Heels women's volleyball program has a proud tradition of excellence in the ACC. Under legendary head coach Joe Sagula, UNC has consistently competed at the highest level and produced numerous All-Americans.

The Tar Heels have been a fixture in the NCAA Tournament and have established themselves as a competitive program in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The program continues to attract top talent from across the country.

North Carolina volleyball has created a passionate fanbase at Carmichael Arena, with the arena providing an intimate home court advantage against ACC opponents.

Season Storylines

2026 North Carolina Volleyball Season

ACC Schedule

North Carolina faces tough ACC competition, battling rivals like Pittsburgh, Stanford, Louisville, and Duke throughout the conference season.

Home Games at Carmichael Arena

Experience the electric atmosphere at Carmichael Arena where North Carolina volleyball creates a passionate and intimidating home court advantage.

NCAA Tournament Path

Follow North Carolina's journey through the NCAA Tournament as the Tar Heels compete against the nation's best programs.

Go Tar Heels

Go Tar Heels!

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North Carolina VolleyballSchedule 2026