CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina claimed the first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in women's fencing program history Sunday afternoon, pulling off an upset of epic proportions by beating Duke for the first time since 2015 and then claiming fence-offs against the Blue Devils and Notre Dame, the defending NCAA champion and winner of the three previous ACC women's titles. Few would have guessed that as the weekend of fencing wrapped up it would be the third-seeded Tar Heels celebrating on the Carmichael Arena court and donning "ACC Champion" caps and t-shirts.
"I don't know that it was improbable," UNC coach Ron Miller, now in his 51st season as the Tar Heels' coach, said of the win.