For the second straight week, we’re getting a battle of North Carolina, and the rivalry remains as tight—and meaningful—as ever. Last week’s meeting went to N.C. State, continuing a trend that has seen the Wolfpack hold the upper hand; North Carolina hasn’t beaten its in-state rival in the regular season since Jan. 9, 2023. While regular-season wins and losses don’t always carry postseason weight in gymnastics, pride, momentum, and positioning still matter—and both teams will be hungry to make a statement.
North Carolina has several advantages this time around. Consistency has been a strength, even if it didn’t translate to a win last week, and returning home should provide a noticeable boost. N.C. State’s victory came with a season-high score that topped its previous best by a full point, a level of performance that will be difficult to replicate on the road. If the Wolfpack does stay close, it will likely be behind another strong bars rotation led by Caroline Volk and Katie Harper. For the Tar Heels, the path to victory may hinge on beam improvement after last week’s struggles—look for JoJo Valahovic and Gwen Fink to anchor a rebound effort.
The meet will be streamed on ACCNX, and scores can be found on Virtius.
Rotation 1: North Carolina vault, N.C. State bars
The ESPN app on my tv is already being super buffery so if I miss something that is why.
Prejean (UNC): And missed this lovely 9.775
Myers (NCS): Looks like she hit the Maloney to bail. Good giant full finish. Small hop back on the double tuck. 9.75
Switched to my phone.
King (UNC): Good extended hips in the Yfull and a small hop back. Not the most pointed feet. 9.775
Rusk (NCS): Attempted a toe hand and fully slipped off the low bar and flung forward. It looks like her grip broke. She is getting assisted walking off.
Fink (UNC): A huge hop forward on her Y1.5. Had good height on that and a good twist position. 9.825
Reid (NCS): Leg separation on the Maloney out of the toe hand and connects well to the pak. Sticks the FTDT with legs together through the twist. 9.85
Seabrooks (UNC): Good open body position on the Yfull but wasn’t fully rotated and had to hop forward a little bit. 9.825
Volk (NCS): Feet on the Ray but it was huge into the overshoot. Sticks the double layout with just a small leg separaton in that. 9.875
Valahovic (UNC): Might have moved her right foot slightly on the landing of her Y1.5. Not the biggest vault but a great landing. 9.925
Hadrick (NCS): Not the biggest jarger but connects it to the overshoot well. High FTDT and a small feet shuffle on the landing. 9.825
Forbes (UNC): Stuck the Yfull with a lean and a little low chest. Had an arm wave too. Great height and distance on that. 9.875
Harper (NCS): Legs glued on the clear hip to geiger. Hit the bail. Legs glued on the double layout as well and stuck it. 9.725. Must have been something from the side, the camera angle for that routine was bad.
AFTER ONE: North Carolina 49.225, N.C. State 49.025
There were some sticky feet between these two teams that rotation. North Carolina stuck several vaults which is difficult to do and N.C. State was able to hold it together after the early bars mishap to stick several landings and put together a sold bars rotation. N.C. State was probably looking for more there to stick with the Tar Heels though.
I think I have my tv working now so we will see.
Rotation 2: N.C. State vault, North Carolina bars
Wright (NCS): Good open body position on that Yfull with a hop in place. Good height. 9.85
Stippich (UNC): Floaty jaeger to overshoot combo. Good toe point on the jaeger. Leg separation on the double layout and a small hop back. 9.8
Fisk (NCS): Twisted a little early on the table but got a ton of distance on that Yfull. Small hop back. 9.75
King (UNC): Leg separations on boththe Maloney and pak. Short cast, bent elbows on the stalder before the double tuck and took a small hop forward and waved her arms. 9.7
Rardin (NCS): Very squatty landing on the front pike half. Not a lot of distance but good height. Cross over step and may have brushed her hand on the mat. 9.6
Stanley (UNC): Leg separation on the start of the Maloney but glues them for the backswing and into the pak. Big double layout and has a small hop back. 9.775
Myers (NCS): Good open shoulders on the block and gets good height on that Yfull. Small hop. Not the most distance. Nice flair of the arms at the end. 9.825
Prejean (UNC): Huge tkachev to pak. Kept the toe point and caught the bar with extended arms. Large step forward on the double front. 9.75
Thomas (NCS): Sticks the Yfull with a couple of arm waves. Open shoulders on the block with more height and distance than Myers. 9.875
Rueda (UNC): Clean toe hand but leg separations on the Maloney to pak. A little over on the giant full into the double tuck where she had a large step back. 9.7
Hadrick (NCS): Good distance on that Yfull and had a small slide back. That one lacked the height of the last couple of vaults. 9.8
Fink (UNC): Great height on the jaeger but lost some toe point and didn’t catch with straight arms. Great bail. Stuck the double layout. 9.85
AFTER TWO: N.C. State 98.125, North Carolina 98.100
This one is very close after two rotations. I felt the vault judging was a little high but it was consistant across the two teams. North Carolina needed to stick more bars landings to keep the lead at the halfway point. N.C. State had its second highest vault rotation score of the season according to the broadcast which will be promising moving forward. Beam is where the Tar Heels struggled last week so this next rotation will be crucial.
Rotation 3: North Carolina beam, N.C. State floor
Seabrooks (UNC): Helf the releve and finish of that full turn. Slight adjustment on the loso series. Solid cat leap to switch side. Great height on the front toss to beat jump. Small hop forward on the bhs back 1.5. 9.8
Harper (NCS): Conrolled the back 1.5 to front layout. Not the most amplitude. Slightly short on the switch side half rotation before the straddle jump. Around on the Popa to wolf full. Controls the Rudi. 9.75
Stippich (UNC): Arm wave on the full turn. Feet on the bhs loso loso series and a wobble at the end. Clean switch to straddle. Held the stick with a slight adjustment on the gainer full. 9.8
Fisk (NCS): Huge double pike and has a large lunge. Off on the rotations on the jump combo. Might have overrotated the switch half to cheat the turning wolf rotation. Kept the back 1.5 to front layout in bounds. 9.8
Rueda (UNC): Solid loso series. Clean switch to split quarter. Lean on the front tuck. Arm wave on the full turn. Leds crossed on the ro double full and took a hop back. 9.725
Adler (NCS): Great control on the front full to front layout. Good legs together on that. Good amplitude on the switch side half to straddle. Controlled the Rudi to straddle. 9.85
Fink (UNC): Slight waiver on the switch to switch. Held the back leg up a little when landing the last loso in the bhs loso loso series. Clean full turn. Sticks the gainer full dismount. 9.875
Rardin (NCS): Great height on the split jump out of the front layout to Rudi. Didn’t hit full split though. Good leap rotation, looks to have gotten the wolf 1.5 fully around. Controls the back 1.5 to front layout. 9.875
Naranjo (UNC): The camera only showed the feet on her full turn. Wobbled in between the front aerial and loso. Also leg up wobbled after landing the loso. Great speed connectiong the switch half to split to beat. Sticks the bhs back 1.5 dismount. 9.625
Hadrick (NCS): Great height but a large lunge on the front layout to Rudi. Wonky rotation on the leap combo. Was fudging to get the wolf 1.5 around. Floaty back 1.5 to front layout. 9.875
Valahovic (UNC): Clean full turn. Floaty bhs loso. Hit the switch to switch half to beat. Sticks the back 1.5. 9.95
Thomas (NCS): Large lunge back on the double pike. Almost went OOB. Great amplitude on the leap combo. Controls the front layout to Rudi. Floaty back 1.5 to front layout. 9.825
AFTER THREE: North Carolina 147.350, N.C. State 147.350
Fink and Valahovic bounced back on beam this week, but Rueda and Naranjo struggled so while beam was good, it wasn’t great. The score for Valahovic was a career high though which is huge for her. N.C. State had a great floor rotation with building scores throughout the lineup. That rotation will have the Wolfpack tied with North Carolina headed into the final rotation. North Carolina will be looking to win its first regular season matchup against N.C. State since 2023.
Rotation 4: N.C. State beam, North Carolina floor
Harper (NCS): Solid loso series. Good amplitude. Hit the beat to straddle 3/4s. Slow cat leap to switch side connection. Hit the full turn. Solid front toss. More squatty that Seabrooks last rotation. Stuck the tucked front full. 9.825
Aoki (UNC): Bounce back on the front tuck through to double tuck. Great amplitude on the switch side half to straddle. Not the most amplitude on the front layout to front full. 9.725
Volk (NCS): Clean full turn. Low amplitude on the bhs bhs loso series. Hit the switch to tuck 3/4s. Beautiful scale. Lean on the front toss. Sticks the gainer full with staggered feet. 9.825
Fink (UNC): Low chest on the landing of the front tuck through to double tuck. Crossed legs in the back 2.5. Short of rotation on the last jump in the triple leap combo. 9.7
Rardin (NCS): Lean on the front toss. Repeats it to connect it to the bhs. Hits the full turn. Arm wave on the switch to split. Bends at the waist a little on the traverse split half. Sticks the switch to gainer pike and lands the gainer pike off to the side of the beam. 9.775
Rueda (UNC): Lifts and shifts the front foot on the double tuck. Great split positions in the jump combo. Missed the punch a little on the back 1.5 to front layout and steps backwards. 9.625
Hall (NCS): Knees on the loso series. Arm waive on the full turn. Slow connection between the cat leap and switch half. Bent front leg in the front aerial to split. Sticks the gainer full. 9.875
Naranjo (UNC): Lands with a low chest and small step forward on the double pike. Gets the switch full around a little short of split. Great height on the front layout front full front tuck. Great amlitude on the switch half to wolf full. 9.775
Tackett (NCS): Hit the split 3/4s. Smooth front aerial. Feet on the bhs loso. Feet and short positions on the switch to wolf. Great scale position. Sticks the bhs back 1.5. 9.875
Forbes (UNC): Slides back on the full in. Feet on that. Clean and controlled front layout front full. Great amplitude on the jump combo. Controlled the double back. Great height on that. 9.85
Thomas (NCS): Clean full turn. Smooht front aerial to bhs. Arm waive between the jumps in her combo. Hit the side aerial. Sticks the bhs gainer full. Good amplitude on that. 9.875
Seabrooks (UNC): Slides the front foot a little on the double pike. Slightly short of rotation on the switch side half to Popa. Floaty and controlled back 1.5 to front layout. 9.925
FINAL: N.C. State 196.625, North Carolina 196.325
North Carolina had several landing errors on floor that coupled with a hit beam rotation for the Wolfpack allowed N.C. State to pull ahead and take the meet. The streak will continue for now. North Carolina continued its consistency of scoring over 196 but will look to start raising the bar as the season continues. N.C. State will look to continue to build the momentum it has over the last two weeks heading into thw rest of the season to climb in the rankings as those early season scores start to hold less weight.
VT: Valahovic 9.925
UB: Volk 9.875
BB: Valahovic 9.95
FX: Seabrooks 9.925
AA: Fink 39.25
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Live blog by Alyssa Van Auker
