Are the Tarheels changing the ABC's of In-state Recruiting in Carolina?

When you tell someone you're from North Carolina, they almost always have one question: “Duke or UNC?” It’s hard not to be a collegiate sports fan in the Tar Heel State, where multiple Power 4 schools sit within an hour of each other. With that kind of density, you’d think there would be a strong pipeline of elite local athletes staying close to home. You’d think.

​

But time and time again, the top volleyball prospects from North Carolina have been choosing to go elsewhere. Take the last few years, for example. U19 setter Genevieve Harris, who has deep family ties to UNC, committed to Texas in 2026. Recent graduate Ryan Hunter is already making an impact at Nebraska. And before that, you had a star-studded class, now rising sophomores, including Asia Thigpen—who’s taking her talents to the SEC to play for Kentucky. So, has it always been this way? With UNC, Duke, NC State, and Wake Forest all within a short drive, you’d think more of the local talent would at least consider staying home.

​

This past spring transfer portal season, though, a few trends started to emerge. Three highly touted 2024 recruits all left their first-year schools and transferred back to play for Carolina.

​

First, there’s Emily Bobbitt—a setter who was arguably one of the best players to come out of North Carolina in recent years. She began her freshman year at Iowa State but saw limited court time, which likely influenced her decision to transfer. Next is Charlotte native Hailey Pearce, who left Virginia Tech for the Tar Heels. And finally, the most “local” of the trio: Laynie Smith. A true Chapel Hill product, Smith had a standout freshman season at Illinois before surprising many by entering the portal and landing at none other than UNC.

​

Carolina’s 2026 recruiting class also shows a shift. Two of their three commits are homegrown: libero Carly Markham and, more recently, Lindley Miller, who flipped her verbal commitment from Auburn to UNC.

​

So what’s behind this shift in North Carolina volleyball recruiting?

​

A key moment was the coaching change in spring 2023. After 33 years, head coach Joe Segula stepped down, and longtime assistant Mike Schall took over the program. To say the Tar Heels’ final seasons under Segula were underwhelming would be an understatement. The heyday of Carolina Volleyball seemed to end after the 2016 season, when they completed their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and won the ACC Championship. But in 2017, they finished 14-14 and missed the tournament. The roster hadn’t changed much—so what happened? No one knows for sure, but following that season, a mass exodus began.

​

Assistant coach Eve Rackham left to take over the program at Tennessee. Star outside hitter Julia Scoles left the indoor game to play beach at Hawaii and later USC. Six-foot-seven opposite Holly Carlton transferred to Florida. Outside hitter Taylor Leath returned home to Pennsylvania to play for Penn State. And Taylor Borup transferred after her freshman year to finish her career at Oregon.

​

After a five-year NCAA tournament drought, Carolina made it back in 2021. Grad transfer Nia Robinson joined for her final season after a strong run at Northwestern, and standout freshman Mabrey Shaffmaster earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors. It felt like the start of something new for the Heels. Fast forward to this past season—Schall’s second as head coach—and UNC returned to the tournament once again. The roster remained largely intact, but some key local transfers made an impact.

​

Outside hitter Emani’ Foster, who had a stellar career at UNC Charlotte, joined the team as a grad transfer. Standout middle Alexis Engelbrecht also transferred in from Iowa State. And while it may not be as obvious, freshman Erin Curtis arrived on campus after spending most of her childhood in the Raleigh-Durham area before moving to California for high school.

​

If trends are any indicator, the UNC coaching staff is making a serious push for local talent—just in time. The 2027 class coming out of North Carolina is one of the strongest in years. U19 Training Team athlete Nejari Crooks has blossomed and is now standing out at the highest level of NTDP. The outside duo of Keilani Ledaja-Brewer and Elly Randolph are already catching the attention of every major P4 program. And don’t forget about other solid local names like Eve Bushnell, Hailey Mueller, and Graceyn Shepard.

​

If any local program isn’t prioritizing this class, they’re missing out. North Carolina may not have always been considered a deep talent pool for volleyball, but the 2027 class is changing that narrative—and putting the state on the map.

​

So which program can attract and keep that local talent? If the transfer portal is any clue, the answer might just be UNC. But as always in recruiting—it’s anyone’s game. Can they lure one of the highly touted 2027s? That would definitely make a statement going forward in state that is growing with more and more top prospects yearly, getting the upper hand in-state could be huge.

​

The countdown to June 15th is on.