North Carolina has continued its rise from last season with a strong start to this season. The Tar Heels have already scored in the mid 196s twice while it took them five weeks in 2025 to eclipse the mark. The biggest improvement has come on floor, which has been a weak area for the Tar Heels the past few years. Stronger landings have really helped propel the lineup there to success, along with the addition of former five-star recruit Sydney Seabrooks, who has been a star for the Tar Heels out of the gate.
Pittsburgh has had more struggles than North Carolina so far. Last week, the Panthers struggled on bars and had trouble with some landings that hampered the team score. The highlight for Pittsburgh was Meika Lee on floor, who has a fantastic floor routine yet again and has shown better control on her front double full compared to last season. Lee also hit the first bars routine of her career last week against California and will be one to watch this week.
The meet will be streamed on ACCNX with live scores on Virtius.
Rotation 1: North Carolina vault, Pittsburgh bars
E. King (UNC): A pretty low Yfull. Medium hop back. A little closed hips. 9.825
Duke (PITT): Short first cast. Legs seperate on the Maloney to pak. Good finish on the giant full before the double tuck. A small step back on that. 9.7
N. King (UNC): More open hits and more dynamic Yfull than her sister. Piked down a bit at the end and a small hop. 9.775
Chiu (PITT): Good height on the jaeger. Great toe point as well. Hit the bail. Holding the handstands. Short on the double tuck dismount and landed with a low chest and took a large step forward. 9.625
Prejean (UNC): Most open Yfull of the bunch. Most height as well. Small hop back and very centered on the mat. 9.85
Madso (PITT): Legs seperate on the backswing of the Maloney and connect right to the bail. A little low on the toe on front pike half dismount and lands chest down and takes a step forward. 9.75
Seabrooks (UNC): Back farther on the board for her Yfull and had good distance. Small hop back. Pretty open hips. 9.825
Pratt (PITT): Not the most height on the Ray but caught a good distance from the bar and turned it over well. Hit the bail to toe hand. Legs glued on the double layout and slide back. 9.75
Valahovic (UNC): Almost sticks her Y1.5. Good straight legs and open hips throughout. Small hop forward. 9.9
Todd (PITT): Bent arms on the piked jaeger catch. Very clean toe hand to bail. Keeps her legs together on the FTDT and lands with a low chest and has a step forward. 9.75
Forbes (UNC): Not her biggest Yfull as she usually goes huge. Open hips and flair out though and bounces in place on the landing. 9.875
Copperwheat (PITT): Huge jaeger. Bends elbows on the catch. Hit the bail. Short last cast. Sticks the FTDT. Keeps legs together and toes pointed on that. 9.8
AFTER ONE: North Carolina 49.275, Pittsburgh 48.750
North Carolina had some hops on vaults early on in the lineup but the landing got better in the back half. The better landings paired with the more dynamic vaults helped boost the team score that rotation. Pittsburgh struggled on the landings on bars. There were several low landings from underrotated dismounts that Pittsburgh will need to improve on in order to see that rotation be a strong one for the Panthers in future weeks.
Seabrooks is in the lineup for bars which will be her debut on that event.
Rotation 2: Pittsburgh vault, North Carolina bars
Bobek (PITT): Not a big Y full but good distance. Pikes down a little at the end. Small hop back. 9.775
N. King (UNC): Leg separations on the Maloney to pak combination. Elbows on the stalder before the double tuck. Opened up early and took a step forward. Feet on the dismount. 9.675
Grant (PITT): Blocked to the side of the table on her Yfull but ended pretty centered on the mat. Small hop back. 9.775
Seabrooks (UNC): Arches the first cast. Leg separations on the Maloney to pak. Keeps her legs glued on the double layout and takes a big hop back. 9.725
Pileggi (PITT): More closed hips and landed with a low chest on her Yfull. Piked down as well and hops in place. 9.675
Stippich (UNC): Short first cast. Big Jaeger to overshoot combination. Leg separation on the double layout dismount with a small hop. 9.8
Duke (PITT): Closed shoulders and a leg split on her block. Good size Yfull and a small hop back. 9.775
Stanley (UNC): Leg separtes a little at the beginning of the Maloney and gets her legs glued for the backswing and into the Pak. Short last cast. Step back on the double layout. 9.75
Giunta (PITT): Small hop back on her Yfull. A little to the side. Didn’t seem to get the full straight arm block. 9.825
Prejean (UNC): Great first cast into a huge tkachev. Leg separation and catches a little off on the pak. Large step on the double front dismount. 9.825
Green (PITT): Closed shoulders on the block and keeps her hips open on the Yfull. Large bounce back. 9.8
Fink (UNC): Feet on the jaeger. Good catch distance. Great bail. Leg separation on the double layout and sticks the landing. 9.85
AFTER TWO: North Carolina 98.225, Pittsburgh 97.700
The judging on vault was consistantly loose in the second rotation which was good. Pittsburgh will be happy with the consistency of the vaults in that lineup. North Carolina showed off some huge releases, and while the landing troubles weren’t as prevalent as with Pittsburgh, there were still several short dismounts. Fink capped off the rotation well though with the stuck double layout. Pittsburgh has some great floor routines and North Carolina has been a good beam team so the next rotation should be fun.
Rotation 3: North Carolina beam, Pittsburgh floor
Seabrooks (UNC): Finished the full turn on releve. Solid loso series. Steady cat leap to switch side. Good height on the front toss to beat jump. Good toe point on the bhs to back 1.5 dismount and stuck it. 9.875
Morgan (PITT): Controlled the front full to front layout. A little archy. Rogue bhs loso. Front layout to Rudi and slides the front foot back. Gets the wolf turn. Clean switch to tour jete half. 9.75
N. King (UNC): Hit the candle. Quick full turn. Feet and knees on the loso series. Shoulder dip on the switch to split 3/4s. Not a lot of height on the back 1.5 dismount and takes a step forward. 9.725
Bell (PITT): Floaty Rudi to loso. Controls it well. Short of split on the switch half before the two wolf fulls. The wolf fulls went a little crazy. Tight tuck position on the double tuck. A little low chest. 9.75
Stippich (UNC): Overturns the full turn. Solid bhs loso loso. Some feet on that. Clean switch to straddle. Sticks the bhs gainer full. 9.8
Copperwheat (PITT): Crossed legs on the back 1.5 to front layout. Hit the switch half to wolf full. Tight tuck position on the double tuck and controls it. Lands the double pike a little low but controls the lunge back. 9.675
Naranjo (UNC): Arm wave on the full turn. Slow connection between the front aerial and loso. Strong switch half to wolf to beat. Off to the side a little on the bhs back 1.5 dismount. There is one beam camera angle they are using that sucks and makes it hard to see potential deductions. 9.85
Pratt (PITT): Small hop on the front layout to front double full. Great height on the jump combo. A little too much power on the back 1.5 to front layout. Takes a large step forward. 9.8
Valahovic (UNC): Clean full turn. Lean and arm wave on the loso series. Floaty switch to switch half to beat. Sticks the back 1.5 dismount. 9.825
Lee (PITT): A little short of rotation on the front double full and has a cross over step out. Great straddle positions in that leap combo. Good control on the whip half to Rudi. 9.825
Fink (UNC): Shoulder dip and arm wave on the switch switch combo. Another small wobble on the bhs loso loso series. Clean full turn. Good height on the bhs gainer full and scooches back with one foot. 9.725
Clark (PITT): Low chest on the double pike and doesn’t fully control the lunge. Short of split on the switch half but gets the wolf 1.5 around. Falls on the combo pass. Didn’t get the punch out of the back 1.5 for the front layout. 8.95
AFTER THREE: North Carolina 147.300, Pittsburgh 146.500
I love some of those Pittsburgh floor routines. Lee is such a great performer and has the cheoreography to match. I recommend going back to watch that routine. There were some rough landings for the Panthers on floor though. North Carolina had a calm and steady beam rotation highlighted by the lead off routine from Seabrooks. I wish the camera angle would let me pick out more deductions though.
Rotation 4: Pittsburgh beam, North Carolina floor
Lee (PITT): Quick full turn. Big leg up wobble on the loso series. Slight lean after the piked front toss to beat. Small step back on the back 1.5. 9.625
E. King (UNC): This floor music gives me nightmares. Good control on the front through to double tuck. Some feet. Switch ring to switch ring half. Could arch more on the switch ring half. Feet on the double pike and hopped sideways into the lunge. 9.8
Chiu (PITT): Smooth full turn. Good toe point on the loso series. Floaty front aerial. Hit the split to stag. Small hop forward on the back 1.5. 9.75
Fink (UNC): Feet on the front tuck through to double tuck. A little large of a lunge. Crossed feet on the back 1.5. Hard to tell how the positions were in the triple leap combo with the angle. 9.825
Bobek (PITT): Small wobble on the loso loso. Feet and knees on that. Hit the wolf turn. Small leg up on the straddle half to beat. Sticks the bhs gainer full. 9.725
Aoki (UNC): Tight tuck in thr front tuck through to double tuck and hopped forward. Feet on that. Great straddle position in the switch side half to straddle. Clean leg position on the front full front layout. 9.825
Madso (PITT): Feet on the bhs loso series. Breaks the connection between the switch half and bhs swingdown. Slight wobble on the beat to ring. Hit the full turn. Small step back on the gainer tuck full. 9.7
Naranjo (UNC): Great height on the double pike. Controlled it. Around on the switch full. A little large step on the front layout front full front tuck. Hit the switch half to wolf full. 9.875
Morgan (PITT): Hit the bhs mount. Feet on the side aerial bhs. A small waiver at the end. Clean double wolf. Hit the switch to split. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.8
Forbes (UNC): Feet on the full in and slides the front foot slightly on the landing. Controls the front layout front full. Around on the tour jete half to popa. Small hop forward on the double tuck. 9.85
Copperwheat (PITT): A little quick on the candle mount. Hit the switch to split. Solid side somi. Low chest on the loso series. Quick full turn (I miss the double turn). Steps forward on the double full. 9.825
Seabrooks (UNC): Short on the double pike. Opens too early and steps forward. Off on the leap rotations. Floaty back 1.5 to front layout. 9.85
FINAL: North Carolina 196.525, Pittsburgh 195.350
Pittsburgh had some wobbles in that beam rotation which followed the theme of the night. There weren’t many major errors for the Panthers but there were several small errors on each routine that compounded. North Carolina had a strong floor rotation for this point in the season. Seabrooks didn’t continue the run of 9.95s on floor, but she won her first all around competition and helped the Tar Heels put up another mid 196.
VT: Valahovic 9.9
UB: Fink 9.85
BB: Seabrooks 9.875
FX: Naranjo 9.875
AA: Seabrooks 39.275
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
