Box Score North Carolina Central at Florida A&M

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team could not surpass the 10-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions Florida A&M on Monday, Oct. 10, suffering a three-set 25-18, 25-14, 25-11 loss in Al Lawson Center.

NCCU senior Tasha-Gaye Richards and freshman Dayanna Arrufat topped the offense with seven kills apiece, while freshman Alice Genna delivered 12 assists.  Defensively, Arrufat collected five digs, as Richards, freshman Ashley McCarthy, sophomore Kalin Russell and senior Emanuelle Santos each obtained on block assists.

The mighty maroon finished the night with 23 kills, 22 assists, one service ace, 28 digs and two team blocks.
Katherine Huanec and Maria Ceccarelli guided FAMU’s offense.  Huanec finished with 12 kills, while Ceccarelli ended the match with 10, as Diana Gonzales circulated 24 assists.  Karol Marquez and Lorrin Rucker were the defensive leaders of the night.  Marquez gathered 22 digs, while Rucker obtained a solo block and a block assist.

Together, the Rattlers amassed 43 kills, 42 assists, four service aces, 40 digs and four team blocks.

NCCU hit the ground running in set one, jumping to an early 6-1 lead over the Rattlers.  The Eagles displayed controlled defense, a dominant offensive effort and eager communication skills from the moment the whistle was blown to initiate the set.

But, the 10-time MEAC champions would not submit, going on an 8-2 run to take the lead, 9-8. The mighty maroon and the orange and green went point-for-point until 14-14 mark, with the Rattlers pacing to a 25-18 win, by outscoring NCCU 11-4.

FAMU controlled set two from start to finish.  Playing off of the Eagles’ disheveled serve receive and a 10 percent offensive effort, the Ratters went on a 10-0 run at the 3-1 mark.  Santos gave her best effort to get the Eagles back into the contest, crushing three consecutive NCCU kills into Rattlers’ territory.  Nonetheless, the solid lead by FAMU provided the cushion for the squad to cruise to a 25-14 set two win.  

Both squads returned to the court after the 10-minute intermission with zeal.  But, FAMU took charge early, springing to an 11-5 lead, with four of those points off of maroon and gray hitting and serving errors. 

NCCU head volleyball coach Georgette Crawford-Crooks called a timeout at the 11-5 mark, giving NCCU and Arrufat the spark needed to seize two crowd-silencing kills and six points.

In spite of their demonstrative effort, FAMU continued to outscore NCCU 9-6, forcing another maroon and gray timeout with a score of 20-11. 

The Eagles could not put a successful offense together following the timeout, tallying four offensive errors and permitting a kill by Huanec for a 25-11 FAMU third set win.

Monday night’s contest drops the Eagles to 1-20 on the season and 1-2 in the MEAC, while the Rattlers advance to 3-11 overall and 3-1 in the MEAC.

NCCU returns to the nest to host Savannah State on Friday, Oct. 14 at 6:00 p.m. in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.

Visit the official NCCU Athletics website www.NCCUEaglePride.com for up-to-date information on Eagle Volleyball.