UNC Greensboro Tops Mercer, Claims No. 2 Seed
UNC Greensboro beat Mercer 3-1 in the SoCon regular-season finale to finish 13-5 in conference play.
Updated on Nov. 15, 2026 in Volleyball
UNC Greensboro volleyball defeated Mercer 3-1 on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at Hawkins Arena in Macon, Georgia, winning the set scores 27-25, 19-25, 25-22, 25-23. The result closed the regular season at 20-9 overall and secured the No. 2 seed for the 2026 SoCon Tournament.
Why it matters
The win gives UNC Greensboro a top-two seed heading into the conference tournament, where seeding shapes its path to the postseason. The team's comeback in Set 3, erasing a 15-11 deficit, showed it can recover from a deficit late in a match.
Allie Sweet recorded 34 kills and 12 digs, her 44th career double-double and 21st of the season. Izora Gragg delivered 46 assists and 9 digs, while Nussbaum led the team with 19 digs and UNCG hit .432 in Set 3.
The players
UNC Greensboro Spartans
The athletic program of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a public university in Greensboro, North Carolina, competing in the Southern Conference.
Allie Sweet
A UNC Greensboro volleyball player who recorded 34 kills and 12 digs in the regular-season finale and now has 44 career double-doubles.
The details
UNCG trailed 7-6 in Set 1 before a six-point run gave it a 12-7 lead. In Set 3, the Spartans erased a 15-11 deficit with eight unanswered points to take the set 25-22 and close out the match in Set 4.
Timeline
Saturday, November 14, 2026: UNC Greensboro defeats Mercer 3-1 in the regular-season finale.
November 19-22, 2026: The 2026 SoCon Tournament is held in Asheville, North Carolina.
Season Trajectory
UNC Greensboro's 20-9 finish matches the program's last 20-win campaign in 2021, when it went 24-7. The No. 2 seed in the SoCon Tournament keeps the Spartans in position for a deep postseason run after a 13-win conference season that last occurred in 2008.
The No. 2 seed sets UNCG's opening-round tournament path, so the next matchup is determined by where the Spartans finished in the standings. Fantasy and bracket followers should track Allie Sweet's kill totals and Izora Gragg's assist numbers as the tournament begins.
The takeaway
UNC Greensboro's regular-season finish shows how a late-set comeback can carry a team into a higher tournament seed. Readers following the program should watch how the Spartans use that momentum in the SoCon Tournament.
What happens next
The Spartans open the 2026 SoCon Tournament in Asheville, North Carolina, from November 19 to 22, 2026.
Further reading
Find more coverage in Volleyball for the Greensboro college sports scene.
