North Carolina vs Kentucky Volleyball: Kentucky Wins 3-0

FinalWed, Sep 9, 2026

0:3

Kentucky beat visiting North Carolina 3-0 (25-11, 25-19, 25-18) on Wed, Sep 9, 2026. Kentucky's Morgan Gaerte led with 17 kills, and Molly Tuozzo added 13 digs.

Data through Nov 3, 1:45 PM CT · final Sep 9

Set	1	2	3	Sets
UNC	11	19	18	0
UK	25	25	25	3

Win probability

Kentucky above 50 · North Carolina below

Biggest swing: 1.7% to North Carolina — set 2, UNC 16-16 UK. Asia Thigpen stuffed by Jackie Taylor & Laynie Smith. UK win probability 94% → 92%.

Pre-match

Season fit · includes this match

UNC 13.8%86.2% UK

North Carolina wins

3-0

2.0%

3-1

4.4%

3-2

7.4%

Kentucky wins

3-0

38.6%

3-1

31.5%

3-2

16.1%

UNC break %: 35.7% vs this opp
UK break %: 43.9% vs this opp

Exact Markov model on each team's RallyIQ serve and receive strength, adjusted for schedule and applied to this matchup (D1 average break % 42.5%). Ratings use the whole season, including this match. Gold = actual result.

Top plays

Largest win-probability swings

01
Jackie Taylor&Laynie SmithBlock+1.7%
Asia Thigpen stuffed by Jackie Taylor & Laynie Smith
Set 2 · UNC 16-16 UK · UNC 6% → 8%
02
Brooklyn DeLeyeKill+1.7%
Kill by Brooklyn DeLeye (set by Kassie O'Brien)
Set 2 · UNC 17-19 UK · UK 93% → 95%
03
Bridget MaloneKill+1.7%
Kill by Bridget Malone (set by Sienna Cozza)
Set 2 · UNC 13-12 UK · UNC 8% → 10%
04
Kennedy WashingtonKill+1.5%
Kill by Kennedy Washington (set by Kassie O'Brien)
Set 2 · UNC 13-14 UK · UK 92% → 93%
05
Asia ThigpenKill+1.4%
Kill by Asia Thigpen (set by Kassie O'Brien)
Set 2 · UNC 14-16 UK · UK 93% → 94%
06
Sienna CozzaAce+1.4%
Ace by Sienna Cozza on Brooklyn DeLeye
Set 2 · UNC 12-12 UK · UNC 6% → 8%
07
Lizzie CarrKill+1.3%
Kill by Lizzie Carr
Set 2 · UNC 17-20 UK · UK 95% → 96%
08
KentuckyService error+1.3%
Kentucky service error
Set 2 · UNC 17-17 UK · UNC 7% → 8%

Box score

Official NCAA box

North Carolinaaway

Player	S	K	E	TA	Hit%	AST	SA	SE	DIG	RE	BA	BLK	PTS
10Bridget MaloneOH	3	7	4	23	.130	0	0	1	6	2	2	1	8
22Safi HamptonOH	3	7	5	26	.077	0	0	0	7	0	1	0.5	7.5
77Chelsea ThorpeOPP	3	4	1	17	.176	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.5	4.5
21Jackie TaylorMB	3	3	1	8	.250	0	0	4	0	0	3	1.5	4.5
3Lauren SchutterMB	3	1	1	3	.000	0	0	0	0	0	3	1.5	2.5
1Zoe BehrendtS	3	0	0	0	–	10	0	0	3	0	0	0	0
23Laynie SmithOPP	3	4	1	13	.231	0	0	0	4	0	2	1	5
8Sienna CozzaS	3	1	0	1	1.000	10	1	2	4	0	0	0	2
18Carly MarkhamL/DS	3	0	0	1	.000	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
6Julia BohlingerL/DS	3	0	0	0	–	3	0	2	12	1	0	0	0
Team totals		27	13	92	.152	23	1	9	36	4	12	6	48

Kentuckyhome

Player	S	K	E	TA	Hit%	AST	SA	SE	DIG	RE	BS	BA	BLK	PTS
18Morgan GaerteOH	3	17	4	34	.382	0	0	2	11	0	0	0	0	17
17Brooklyn DeLeyeOH	3	15	5	32	.313	0	1	1	8	1	0	1	0.5	16.5
15Lizzie CarrMB	3	8	3	15	.333	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.5	8.5
10Kennedy WashingtonMB	3	5	1	12	.333	0	0	0	2	0	1	2	2	7
6Kassie O'BrienS	3	0	0	6	.000	44	1	0	5	0	0	2	1	2
1Trinity WardL/DS	3	0	0	0	–	1	2	1	3	0	0	0	0	2
20Asia ThigpenOH	3	4	3	17	.059	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	4
27Brynn CovellS	3	0	0	0	–	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0
12Molly TuozzoL/DS	3	0	0	0	–	0	0	0	13	0	0	0	0	0
Team totals		49	16	116	.284	45	4	4	47	1	1	6	4	75

Starters listed first. BLK is the NCAA total: a solo counts 1, a block assist ½. Recaps and press releases usually quote solos + assists instead, so the same night can be reported as a bigger, whole number. The box score is the source for every counting stat on this page.

Momentum

Point differential by rally

Longest run 3 UNC · UK 6

Set 1

11-25

Longest run 2 UNCUK 6

Set 2

19-25

Longest run 3 UNCUK 5

Set 3

18-25

Longest run 3 UNCUK 5

Bars above the line = Kentucky leads, below = North Carolina leads. Bright bars are points inside a run of 3+.

Rotations

Sideout and break % by rotation slot

North Carolina

Slot	Sideout %	Break %
1	64%7/11	25%2/8
2	60%6/10	13%1/8
3	50%6/12	50%6/12
4	43%6/14	14%1/7
5	36%5/14	33%3/9
6	33%4/12	17%1/6
All	47%34/73	28%14/50

Kentucky

Slot	Sideout %	Break %
1	70%7/10	50%5/10
2	60%6/10	50%6/12
3	75%6/8	33%3/9
4	75%6/8	50%6/12
5	75%6/8	50%6/12
6	83%5/6	72%13/18
All	72%36/50	53%39/73

Slot = rotations since the start of the set (slot 1 is the lineup a team opened the set in), not a fixed player alignment. Only clean sets count (3 of 3 here): sets where the NCAA play-by-play has gaps or score corrections are left out because the rotation can't be tracked through them.

Rally log

123 rallies

#	UNC-UK	Srv	Point	End	Player	Setter / blockers / passer	WP Δ
Set 1
1	0-1	UNC	UK	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.9
2	0-2	UK	UK	Attack err	Safi Hampton		+1.2
3	1-2	UK	UNC	Kill	Safi Hampton	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.8
4	1-3	UNC	UK	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.8
5	2-3	UK	UNC	Kill	Bridget Malone	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.9
6	2-4	UNC	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.8
7	3-4	UK	UNC	Kill	Chelsea Thorpe	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.9
8	3-5	UNC	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.9
9	4-5	UK	UNC	Kill	Laynie Smith	set Sienna Cozza	+0.9
10	4-6	UNC	UK	Kill	Asia Thigpen	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.9
11	5-6	UK	UNC	Kill	Sienna Cozza	set Julia Bohlinger	+0.9
12	5-7	UNC	UK×3	Serve err	North Carolina		+0.9
13	5-8	UK	UK×3	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+1.2
14	5-9	UK	UK×3	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+1.0
15	6-9	UK	UNC	Blocked	Brooklyn DeLeye	blk Jackie Taylor, Laynie Smith	+0.6
16	6-10	UNC	UK	Kill	Lizzie Carr	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.7
17	6-11	UK	UK	Ace	Kentucky	aced Carly Markham	+0.8
18	7-11	UK	UNC	Kill	Safi Hampton	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.5
19	7-12	UNC	UK	Kill	Lizzie Carr	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.5
20	7-13	UK	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.6
21	8-13	UK	UNC	Serve err	Kentucky		+0.3
22	9-13	UNC	UNC	Attack err	Lizzie Carr		+0.7
23	9-14	UNC	UK×4	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.5
24	9-15	UK	UK×4	Attack err	Chelsea Thorpe		+0.6
25	9-16	UK	UK×4	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.4
26	9-17	UK	UK×4	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.2
27	10-17	UK	UNC	Attack err	Asia Thigpen		+0.1
28	10-18	UNC	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.1
29	10-19	UK	UK	Attack err	Bridget Malone		+0.1
30	11-19	UK	UNC	Attack err	Morgan Gaerte		·
31	11-20	UNC	UK×6	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	·
32	11-21	UK	UK×6	Blocked	Safi Hampton	blk Kassie O'Brien, Kennedy Washington	·
33	11-22	UK	UK×6	Kill	Kennedy Washington	set Kassie O'Brien	·
34	11-23	UK	UK×6	Kill	Kennedy Washington		·
35	11-24	UK	UK×6	Blocked	Safi Hampton	blk Kassie O'Brien, Kennedy Washington	·
36	11-25	UK	UK×6	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	·
Set 2
1	1-0	UK	UNC	Kill	Jackie Taylor	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.8
2	1-1	UNC	UK×4	Serve err	North Carolina		+0.7
3	1-2	UK	UK×4	Attack err	Safi Hampton		+1.0
4	1-3	UK	UK×4	Kill	Lizzie Carr	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.9
5	1-4	UK	UK×4	Ace	Kentucky	aced Julia Bohlinger	+0.8
6	2-4	UK	UNC×3	Attack err	Lizzie Carr		+0.5
7	3-4	UNC	UNC×3	Attack err	Brooklyn DeLeye		+0.9
8	4-4	UNC	UNC×3	Kill	Laynie Smith	set Sienna Cozza	+1.1
9	4-5	UNC	UK	Serve err	North Carolina		+0.7
10	4-6	UK	UK	Attack err	Lauren Schutter		+1.0
11	5-6	UK	UNC	Kill	Bridget Malone	set Sienna Cozza	+0.7
12	5-7	UNC	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.6
13	5-8	UK	UK	Kill	Kennedy Washington	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.9
14	6-8	UK	UNC	Serve err	Kentucky		+0.6
15	6-9	UNC	UK	Serve err	North Carolina		+0.6
16	7-9	UK	UNC	Kill	Jackie Taylor	set Sienna Cozza	+0.6
17	7-10	UNC	UK	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.6
18	8-10	UK	UNC	Kill	Safi Hampton	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.6
19	8-11	UNC	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.6
20	9-11	UK	UNC	Attack err	Lizzie Carr		+0.6
21	10-11	UNC	UNC	Blocked	Brooklyn DeLeye	blk Bridget Malone, Lauren Schutter	+1.1
22	10-12	UNC	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.8
23	11-12	UK	UNC×3	Kill	Lauren Schutter	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.8
24	12-12	UNC	UNC×3	Ace	Sienna Cozza	aced Brooklyn DeLeye	+1.4
25	13-12	UNC	UNC×3	Kill	Bridget Malone	set Sienna Cozza	+1.7
26	13-13	UNC	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+1.0
27	13-14	UK	UK	Kill	Kennedy Washington	set Kassie O'Brien	+1.5
28	14-14	UK	UNC	Kill	Bridget Malone	set Julia Bohlinger	+1.1
29	14-15	UNC	UK	Blocked	Bridget Malone	blk Kennedy Washington	+1.0
30	14-16	UK	UK	Kill	Asia Thigpen	set Kassie O'Brien	+1.4
31	15-16	UK	UNC	Serve err	Kentucky		+0.9
32	16-16	UNC	UNC	Blocked	Asia Thigpen	blk Jackie Taylor, Laynie Smith	+1.7
33	16-17	UNC	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+1.2
34	17-17	UK	UNC	Serve err	Kentucky		+1.3
35	17-18	UNC	UK×5	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+1.3
36	17-19	UK	UK×5	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+1.7
37	17-20	UK	UK×5	Kill	Lizzie Carr		+1.3
38	17-21	UK	UK×5	Attack err	Safi Hampton		+0.9
39	17-22	UK	UK×5	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.5
40	18-22	UK	UNC	Blocked	Brooklyn DeLeye	blk Jackie Taylor, Safi Hampton	+0.2
41	18-23	UNC	UK	Kill	Lizzie Carr	set Jackie Taylor	+0.3
42	18-24	UK	UK	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Trinity Ward	+0.1
43	19-24	UK	UNC	Kill	Jackie Taylor	set Zoe Behrendt	·
44	19-25	UNC	UK	Serve err	North Carolina		·
Set 3
1	1-0	UNC	UNC	Kill	Safi Hampton		+0.6
2	2-0	UNC	UNC	Kill	Safi Hampton	set Molly Tuozzo	+0.6
3	2-1	UNC	UK	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.4
4	2-2	UK	UK	Blocked	Jackie Taylor	blk Lizzie Carr, Brooklyn DeLeye	+0.6
5	3-2	UK	UNC	Kill	Chelsea Thorpe	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.4
6	3-3	UNC	UK	Kill	Lizzie Carr	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.4
7	4-3	UK	UNC	Attack err	Morgan Gaerte		+0.4
8	5-3	UNC	UNC	Blocked	Asia Thigpen	blk Chelsea Thorpe, Lauren Schutter	+0.7
9	5-4	UNC	UK	Serve err	North Carolina		+0.4
10	6-4	UK	UNC	Kill	Chelsea Thorpe	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.5
11	6-5	UNC	UK×4	Serve err	North Carolina		+0.4
12	6-6	UK	UK×4	Attack err	Laynie Smith		+0.6
13	6-7	UK	UK×4	Attack err	Bridget Malone		+0.6
14	6-8	UK	UK×4	Kill	Asia Thigpen	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.5
15	7-8	UK	UNC×3	Kill	Bridget Malone	set Sienna Cozza	+0.4
16	8-8	UNC	UNC×3	Attack err	Morgan Gaerte		+0.6
17	9-8	UNC	UNC×3	Kill	Safi Hampton	set Sienna Cozza	+0.7
18	9-9	UNC	UK	Serve err	North Carolina		+0.4
19	10-9	UK	UNC	Attack err	Kennedy Washington		+0.5
20	11-9	UNC	UNC	Kill	Safi Hampton	set Julia Bohlinger	+0.8
21	11-10	UNC	UK	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.5
22	11-11	UK	UK	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.8
23	12-11	UK	UNC	Kill	Laynie Smith	set Sienna Cozza	+0.6
24	12-12	UNC	UK	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.5
25	13-12	UK	UNC	Attack err	Brooklyn DeLeye		+0.6
26	13-13	UNC	UK	Kill	Lizzie Carr	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.5
27	14-13	UK	UNC	Kill	Chelsea Thorpe	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.6
28	14-14	UNC	UK	Serve err	North Carolina		+0.6
29	14-15	UK	UK	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.8
30	15-15	UK	UNC	Kill	Bridget Malone	set Zoe Behrendt	+0.6
31	16-15	UNC	UNC	Blocked	Morgan Gaerte	blk Bridget Malone, Lauren Schutter	+1.0
32	16-16	UNC	UK×3	Kill	Asia Thigpen	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.6
33	16-17	UK	UK×3	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.9
34	16-18	UK	UK×3	Attack err	Bridget Malone		+0.8
35	17-18	UK	UNC	Kill	Bridget Malone	set Sienna Cozza	+0.5
36	17-19	UNC	UK×5	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.6
37	17-20	UK	UK×5	Ace	Kentucky	aced Bridget Malone	+0.7
38	17-21	UK	UK×5	Kill	Brooklyn DeLeye	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.4
39	17-22	UK	UK×5	Kill	Morgan Gaerte	set Kassie O'Brien	+0.2
40	17-23	UK	UK×5	Ace	Kentucky	aced Bridget Malone	+0.1
41	18-23	UK	UNC	Kill	Laynie Smith	set Sienna Cozza	·
42	18-24	UNC	UK	Kill	Kennedy Washington	set Kassie O'Brien	·
43	18-25	UK	UK	Kill	Lizzie Carr		·

Score shown after each rally, North Carolina first. WP Δ = match win-probability points gained, colored by the team that gained them.“NCAA feed gap” rows mark points the NCAA play-by-play never logged (tap Why? for details).

Kentucky def. North Carolina 3–0