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North Carolina fell one spot to No. 3 in the latest United Soccer Coaches women’s Top 25 on Tuesday, but star freshman center back Savy King in ACC Defensive Player of the Week. The Tar Heels (1–0–1) played Penn State (1–0–1) to a scoreless draw Thursday before knocking off Cal 3–1 in their home opener on Sunday. The Nittany Lions moved up two spots to No. 8.
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.
CHAPEL HILL — Carolina’s freshmen haven’t taken long to prove they’re worthy of being ranked the country’s No. 1 group in the class. Two freshmen, Melina Rebimbas and Olivia Thomas, scored their first college goals and another, Mia Oliaro, added an assist to lead No. 2 North Carolina to a 3–1 victory Sunday over Cal at Dorrance Field in its home opener.
No. 2-ranked North Carolina couldn’t create enough quality chances, but the Tar Heels’ defense and goalkeeping stood tall in an opening-game 0–0 draw against No. 10 Penn State at State College, Pa., on a soggy field. While the Tar Heels held a 19–5 shot advantage, they only got two shots on goal compared to three for Penn State.
North Carolina is ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 football poll for the third time in four seasons. The Tar Heels are No. 21 in the poll, released Monday, the lowest preseason poll appearances in Coach Mack Brown’s second stint in Chapel Hill after being ranked No. 18 in 2020 and No. 10 in 2021.
CHAPEL HILL — After last season ended in heartbreak, the No. 2-ranked Carolina women’s soccer team reloaded with the nation’s top freshman class, and the Tar Heels are poised to make another College Cup run with an “extra chip” on their shoulders. You won’t have to convince East Carolina, which could never get much going Saturday night at Dorrance Field. ACC favorite Carolina coasted to a 2–0 win in both teams’ second and final exhibition match, outshooting the Pirates 20–3.
For years, Mike Krzyzewski never scheduled true road non-conference games, only playing them in the defunct ACC/Big Ten Challenge. His Duke teams still faced tough opponents away from Cameron Indoor Stadium, but at neutral sites. Many wondered why Krzyzewski didn’t schedule road tests for his team before ACC play. Part of his strategy seemed to be to simulate an NCAA tournament game atmosphere.
Coach Hubert Davis’ reshaped team will get plenty of non-conference tests over a schedule North Carolina announced on Wednesday, including facing UConn, the reigning NCAA champion, and Kentucky in two of five neutral-site events.
Carolina and Kentucky, two of men’s college basketball’s best programs, will meet again next season. The teams will tangle for the 43rd time, playing in Atlanta at the 10th annual CBS Sports Classic. The game will start 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game between UCLA and Ohio State, which starts at 3 p.m.
The No. 2 North Carolina women’s soccer team rolled to an 8–1 victory over College of Charleston in the first of two preseason exhibition games. Redshirt sophomore forward Ally Sentnor and freshman forward Olivia Thomas each notched two goals at Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill on a steamy day as the Tar Heels outshot Charleston 36–9.
Unlike some recent seasons, the non-conference women’s basketball home schedule for North Carolina has some sizzle. UNC released its non-conference women’s basketball schedule Monday, and it’s one of the most challenging in years, dotted with national powers.
North Carolina is ranked No. 20 in the preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll, with the preseason AP Top 25 poll set to be released next Monday.
Carolina’s women’s basketball team can’t face Iowa in the Gulf Coast Showcase until the event’s third day. The Tar Heels, coming off a 22–11 season that ended in the second round of the NCAA tournament, meet Vermont in a first-round game at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving Day, in the event in Estero, Fla.
Carolina’s men’s basketball team will face Northern Iowa in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis, which is set for Nov. 22–24 in the Bahamas, with a possible second-day matchup against Villanova. The Tar Heels will be in the same bracket of the eight-team event with the Villanova-Texas Tech game. On the other side of the bracket, Michigan takes on Memphis and Arkansas meets Stanford.
Quarterback Drake Maye, last season’s ACC Player of the Year, leads three Carolina players on the preseason All-ACC team announced Wednesday on UNC’s first day of practice and is the Preseason Player of the Year. Joining the 6–4, 230-pound redshirt sophomore are 6–2½, 200-pound Kent State junior transfer wide receiver Tez Walker and 6–2½, 235-pound senior linebacker Cedric Gray. The Tar Heels’ three selections were the third-most after seven for league favorite Clemson and four for Florida State.
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