The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Women’s Lacrosse finished off an undefeated season in the NCAA Division I National Championship. The Tarheels beat Northwestern in a thrilling 12-8 victory. The title match saw a combined four goals and five assists from the Humphrey Sisters. The Humphrey trio has been the heart of the program this year as the Tarheels capped off a perfect season.
Three Sisters, One Title
This past weekend, the Tarheels were crowned National Champions for the first time since 2022. Nicole, Ashley, and Chloe Humphrey were the heart of it all in their first and only time playing lacrosse together on the same team collegiately. Following the win, Ashley was overcome with emotion.
“I have no words. It’s unbelievable. To be able to do it alongside my sisters is something I could have never dreamed of. This team is unlike any other I’ve ever been on. I’m shaking, I’m speechless,” she said in a post-game television interview.
The eldest sister, Nicole, isn’t new to being crowned a National Champion. She was an integral part of the Tarheel’s 2022 team that brought home the NCAA title. But she says that this one means a little bit more.
“You really can’t make a better story than this one. This has been such a dream come true. Winning with them, it means so much more than it has in the past,” she said following the game.
Completing the trio is the youngest sister, Chloe, who is a redshirt freshman catching national attention after scoring 90 goals in her first season. In the title game versus Northwestern, she tallied four goals and one assist. The Humphrey sister connection ran strong during the game, with Ashley, who is the NCAA record holder for career assists, assisting one of Chloe goals for the thirtieth time this season.
Though it was just for one season, Chloe reflected on her time playing alongside her sisters and their impact on her after the game. “I’ve learned quite a few things. Whether it was on the field, off the field, I’ve just learned so much from them. I’m not ready for it to be over. That’s going to be a tough pill to swallow,” she said.
“You really can’t make a better story than this one. This has been such a dream come true. Winning with them, it means so much more than it has in the past.”
Sisterhood Through Adversity
The journey to national champions didn’t come without hardship for the Humphrey sisters. Between transferring schools, the Covid-19 pandemic, and injuries, they were there for each other through it all.
In Nicole's first year as a Tarheel, she led the UNC freshmen in goals before their season was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Nicole then became a starter and helped bring UNC a national championship trophy her sophomore year in 2022. Meanwhile, Ashley, who was playing at Stanford, saw the opportunity to unite with her sisters after Chloe announced commitment to the Tarheels.
Things didn’t pan out exactly as she imagined, though. After her senior year, Nicole transferred to University Southern California (USC) to pursue her master’s degree. After tearing a ligament in her foot, she was unexpectedly left with a surgery, five screws, and a sidelined season at USC.
“It was traumatic,” she said. “It was a hard and weird situation, especially after the pandemic. It was like, ‘What else could go wrong?’” Nicole said via USA Lacrosse. Her foot injury limited her abilities on the field this season after making the decision of transferring back to UNC to join her sisters.
But her presence as a teammate shouldn’t be understated. She played an integral role in helping Chloe through her own season-ending injury last year as a freshman. Chloe says that watching how her sister handled adversity inspired her to do the same.
“I was so frustrated,” Chloe said. “She was out on the West Coast traveling to incredible places—not letting the injury completely tear apart her life. She took it as a learning experience and adventure. So I tried to make the most of my time here at UNC on the sideline, listening and learning,” she told USA Lacrosse.
These obstacles all led to the sisters uniting for one final year at UNC where they broke records, won trophies, and had the ultimate sibling experience.
A Lasting Legacy
With Nicole and Ashley’s time as Tarheels at its end, this was the last time we would see the Humphrey Sisters compete together at the collegiate level. The trio has made an unforgettable impact and the Humphrey name will continue to impact UNC.
With Chloe just getting started this season, her ceiling is limitless. UNC Head Coach, Jenny Levy, has never seen anything like it.
“Chloe is so dynamic…I just have such a privilege to coach her. And her hard work and her passion for the game is something special,” she said following the game.
In their final game as teammates, they didn’t just win a championship. They left behind a legacy of unity, strength, and sisterhood that will echo through UNC’s program for years to come.
