Oct. 15, 2009
Match Notes - NCCU vs. George Washington
DURHAM, N.C. - The North Carolina Central University volleyball team (7-18) will host the Colonials of George Washington University (15-6) on Friday, Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium. Friday will mark the second all-time meeting between the Eagles and the Colonials.
The Eagles return home after falling to the Radford Highlanders, 3-2, Tuesday night at the Dedmon Center, which marked the first all-time meeting between the Highlanders and the Eagles. Shantel Moore notched her fourth double-double of the season with 12 kills and 11 digs to help the Eagles' rally from a 2-1 deficit to force five sets.
NCCU is led by a trio of outside hitters, who have contributed significantly on both sides of the net. Belinda Behncke-Biney has proven to be an all-around player for the Eagles, leading the team in kills and service aces with 249 and 34, respectively. She also ranks second in digs with 174. Shantel Moore ranks second in kills and blocks with 183 and 54, respectively. Moore also ranks third in digs with 143.
Senior Avaniki Campbell is third in kills with 181 and is hitting a team-high .214 on the season, while leading in blocks with 107. She also ranks second in service aces with 30. Sophomore setter Kiara Brown has been a huge contributor for the offense with a career-high 595 assists so far this season. Defensively, the Eagles are led by Raven King with a career-high 236 digs. As a team, NCCU is hitting .093 and has been dominant on the net with 183 total blocks, which is 67.5 more than their opponents.
George Washington and NCCU will meet for the second time in program history with the Colonials having a 1-0 advantage in the series. The Colonials enter the match with a 15-6 overall record and a 4-2 record in conference play. They have won eight of their last 10 matches and are riding a two-match winning streak. They are hitting .217 on the season and have tallied 1,006 kills, 140 total blocks and 1,315 digs.
The Colonials are led by the hitting duo of Katie Butz and Leah Hill. Butz is hitting .265 on the season with a team-high 266 kills. She also ranks third in blocks with 52. Her counterpart is Hill, who is hitting .188 on the season with 240 kills. Hill also ranks second in digs with 246. Setter Alyssa Valentine has contributed significantly on offense with 829 assists so far this season.
Defensively, the Colonials are led by Candace Silva-Martin and Katie Zulandt. Silva-Martin has tallied 402 digs this season, while the Colonials' blocking game is anchored by Zulandt with 58 blocks.
George Washington, a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, has proven to be a top competitor. NCCU has faced only two teams from the A-10 in its history and those teams are Charlotte and George Washington. The A-10 has the advantage in the series, claiming a 2-0 lead over the Eagles. The Eagles look to earn their first win over an A-10 team in program history on Friday.
Dr. Ingrid Wicker-McCree will have a divided heart on Friday. The NCCU Director of Athletics will have the opportunity to get a taste of home. Playing George Washington will be a homecoming for Dr. McCree, who spent four years as a member of the Colonial volleyball team. She graduated with a degree in criminal justice from George Washington in 1989.
Following Friday's match against George Washington, the Eagles will hit the road for a four-match road stand before returning home for their final match of the season. NCCU will travel to North Carolina A&T, UNC Wilmington, UNC Greensboro, Delaware State and Maryland Eastern Shore. They will close out the season with North Carolina A&T on Nov. 16, which will be designated as Senior Night.
For more information on Eagles volleyball, visit the official website of NCCU Athletics at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.
