DURHAM, N.C. – Belinda Behncke-Biney totaled 11 kills and notched a .121 mark as the North Carolina Central University volleyball team (1-7) dropped a 3-0 decision to the Duke Blue Devils (8-1) Saturday morning at Cameron Indoor Stadium to open day two of the Duke Volleyball Invitational Tournament.

Behncke-Biney collected 11 of the Eagles’ 20 kills, while Emanuelle Santos and Sashalee Wallen combined for seven. Freshman setter Jzima-Malaki Kalao contributed on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball for the Eagles as she collected 16 assists and three blocks, including a solo shot.

Joining Kalao on the net were Kalin Russell and Wallen, who each had two blocks. Anchoring the Eagles’ defensive effort away from the net was Santos with a team-high nine digs, while Raven King and Alexis John combined for 14. NCCU totaled 20 kills and 34 digs on the match to go along with five total blocks.

In the opening set, the Eagles brought their defense, holding the Blue Devils to a .194 on offense with 11 kills. Keeping the set close, NCCU showed determination as the set saw three tie scores and two lead changes with the Eagles taking the lead at the 7-6 mark following an attack error by Duke’s Becci Burling.

NCCU was forced to call a timeout after Duke charged to a six-point lead, 17-11, following a 10-4 run. Unfortunately, the Blue Devils’ fire stayed sparked as Duke closed the set with a 9-4 run, claiming a 25-15 win over the Eagles. Behncke-Biney led with five kills and a .250 clip, while Santos had two kills and a .286 mark.

The Eagles put on a much better performance offensively in the second set, notching their only positive performance of the match. Behncke-Biney earned five more kills and hit .231, while Duke recorded their best mark of the match with a.393 clip led by Burling with six kills.

NCCU pulled out to a 3-1 lead to open the set and stayed in control through two tie scores, but the Blue Devils rallied back to take a 11-7 lead after tying the set at six apiece, forcing an Eagle timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Duke turned up the heat and rode a 14-6 run to a 25-13 win, standing one set away from the victory.

Trailing two sets to none, the Eagles approached do or die as they went into the third set. Both teams picked up the intensity as NCCU held Duke to a .217 on offense and just nine kills. The Eagles controlled the net with two blocks as Kalao notched two and Russell and Wallen each added one.

Wallen led the Eagle offense with two kills and a service ace, while Santos and Russell collected three digs apiece. NCCU totaled just four kills and eight digs in the set as Duke controlled the set from 2-1. NCCU had just one lead at 1-0 and managed to tie the set on two occasions.

Following the last tie of the set, 4-4, the Eagles scored just eight more points as the Blue Devils rode a 22-8 run to the finish line. Duke took the set 25-12, which gave them a 3-0 decision over the Eagles.

Burling led the Blue Devil attack with 12 kills and added two service aces, three digs and three blocks. She was assisted by Kellie Catanach and Alex Sall, who combined for 30 of Duke’s 31 assists. Amanda Robertson anchored the defense with 10 digs and also collected seven kills on offense.

Duke remains perfect against NCCU with a 7-0 advantage in the series. The Blue Devils improved to 8-1 on the season and stand undefeated in the tournament with a battle against No. 12 Minnesota still remaining. The Eagles dropped to 1-7 on the year and stand winless in the tournament.

NCCU returns to action later this evening when they conclude the Duke Volleyball Invitational Tournament with Colonial Athletic Association powerhouse Delaware at 5 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Live statistics will be available online at www.NCCUEaglePride.com. Admission is free.

For more information on Eagle Volleyball or for up-to-date scores and statistics, visit the official website of NCCU Athletics at www.NCCUEaglePride.com.