In the match, senior setter Eve Rackham recored her 1,000th career dig, and senior outside hitter Laura Greene moved up to third all-time on the career digs list with 1,248. Clemson (11-7, 2-1) came out strong in the first game, building a 5-1 lead before the Tar Heels battled back to tie the score at 8-8 on a kill by Rackham. The match was back and forth from there, with the teams tied at every point from 8-8 to 24-24.
Clemson took a three-point lead at 27-24, but the Tar Heels came back to tie the game at 28-28 on a kill by Greene and then at 30-30 on a kill by sophomore middle hitter Katie Wright. The Tigers answered with two consecutive points for a 32-30 win.
UNC took control in the second game to knot the match at 1-1, beginning with a kill by Greene for the first point. From there, the Tar Heels slowly built an eight-point lead at 21-13. Clemson answered with an 8-1 run to narrow the Tar Heel lead to 22-21. Junior middle hitter Aletha Green recored a kill for the sideout and a two-point lead, and the Tar Heels continued with six more points on Greene's serve. The Tar Heels clinched the game 30-22 when the Clemson block could not handle an attack by senior outside hitter Malaika Underwood.
In Game 3, UNC took the lead on a block by Green and Rackham and would never trail. Rackham capped one of the team's longest rallies of the season with a kill to give UNC a 16-10 lead. The Tar Heels held on for the win and the 2-1 advantage in the match.
Clemson came back to take the fourth game, forcing the Tar Heels to a fifth game for the first time this season. Clemson won 30-25 on seven kills by Lori Ashton while out-hitting UNC .298 to .155.
In the deciding game, four kills by freshman Dani Nyenhuis and two each by Greene and Green gave the Tar Heels a 17-15 edge. UNC took an 11-9 lead on a kill by Strauss, but Clemson came back and tied on a kill by Marija Zoric. The Tar Heels again went up two on an Underwood ace and a Nyenhuis kill. Clemson would then tie on a Zoric kill. The game would again be tied at 15-15, but a kill by Green and an attack out of bounds by Clemson sealed the victory.
