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In Erin Matson’s first season as the youngest Division I head coach in any sport, North Carolina is one win away from its 11th NCAA title and the Tar Heels’ second in a row. The No. 1 Tar Heels advanced with a 2–0 victory over No. 5-ranked Virginia in the NCAA tournament semifinals at Karen Shelton Stadium in Chapel Hill after the teams split a pair of earlier meetings.
In the first round of the NCAA tournament, top-seeded North Carolina looked like the dominant field hockey program that it has been for years. Paityn Wirth scored two goals and Katie Dixon added a goal and an assist as the Tar Heels rolled to 6–1 victory Friday afternoon over William & Mary at Karen Shelton Stadium.
Two Carolina women’s teams that have won multiple national championships — field hockey and soccer — fell Tuesday from No. 1 to No. 3, and the Tar Heels slipped in the men’s soccer poll.
Coach Erin Matson’s Carolina field hockey team is back on top. The Tar Heels (8–1, 1–0 ACC) were the preseason No. 1 team, but Iowa supplanted them after the Hawkeyes’ 3–2 overtime win over UNC on Aug. 27. That gives Carolina three teams currently ranked No. 1, with Coach Anson Dorrance’s women’s soccer team and Coach Andrew DiBitetto’s men’s golf team also top-ranked. In addition, the football team is No. 14 and the men’s soccer team is No. 18.
North Carolina held on to the No. 2 spot in the NFHCA Coaches Poll released Tuesday morning after a 2–1 road victory Sunday over Old Dominion. The Tar Heels (4–1), who have only lost to No. 1 Iowa (3–2 in overtime on Aug. 27), fell from nine first-place votes last week to three this week.
You’re likely frustrated if you are a Spectrum cable customer who can’t make it to Kenan Stadium for Saturday’s 5:15 UNC home football opener against Appalachian State. ACC Network, one of the 26 channels currently off Spectrum’s menu because of a carriage dispute between Charter Communications and Disney, will televise the game.
In the first Top 20 NFHCA poll since North Carolina garnered the top preseason ranking, the Tar Heels fell to No. 2 in the poll released Tuesday morning. The Tar Heels rebounded from a 3–2 Aug. 27 home overtime loss to Iowa, their first setback since 2021, to sweep a pair of games last weekend at the ACC-Ivy Challenge in Philadelphia. UNC beat Penn 4–0, then knocked off Princeton 2–1 in overtime, dropping the Tigers from No. 10 to No. 15.
CHAPEL HILL — The transition from Erin Matson, one the best college field hockey players in the sport’s history, to Coach Erin is complete. As she leads many of her former teammates — including one who is older — the team calls the 23-year-old first-year head coach Erin. But there’s plenty of respect for Matson, whose top-ranked team beat No. 4 Michigan 3–2 Friday night in her coaching debut at Karen Shelton Stadium in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge before a record crowd.
From the last season’s final September poll until Erin Matson led North Carolina to the field hockey national championship, the Tar Heels were No. 1 in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll. Matson will begin her head coaching career with her team back in the same spot as UNC tops the preseason poll, released on Tuesday.
The ACC came to expect high achievement from North Carolina when Erin Matson was the best field hockey player in the country, and those expectations haven’t changed with her head coaching debut ahead on Friday. In the preseason ACC poll released on Monday, UNC is the favorite to win its seventh consecutive league title after going undefeated last season and winning the program’s 10th national title season, the final year under Coach Karen Shelton.
If you enjoy watching Carolina win a national championship, beat Duke and N.C. State, Armando Bacot make history and Drake Maye work his magic, set your DVR for Carolina takeover day Saturday on the ACC Network. Each conference school has one takeover day as the network replays the biggest victories aired on ESPN channels during the last school year during “ACC Network School Takeover.” It began Saturday with Wake Forest and ends July 15 with Boston College.
Hubert Davis has made a point to hire a coaching staff of Carolina alums, figuring there are many advantages, particularly on the recruiting trail. Who better to convince an athlete to play and study at UNC than a coach who did just that? With recent hirings, more head coaches on campus will have that advantage.
Carolina’s field hockey and women’s tennis teams were two of the national championship teams honored at the White House on Monday. Vice President Kamala Harris welcomed 19 championship teams at a ceremony outside of the White House as the attendees battled a drizzle. Speaking before Harris was NCAA president Charlie Baker. Logan Eggleston of the Texas women’s volleyball team spoke after Harris.
Carolina’s national championship field hockey and women’s tennis teams will be at the White House on Monday as part of the College Athlete Day celebrations. Dozens of NCAA championship teams across different sports and divisions are expected to be part of the celebration.
With Coach Brian Kalbas’ Carolina women’s tennis team winning the NCAA title on Saturday, here is a look at the University of National Champions by the numbers.
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