Box Score North Carolina Central vs. USC Upstate

DURHAM, N.C. (www.NCCUEaglePride.com) – In a heart wrenching loss to USC Upstate on Wednesday, Nov. 2, three North Carolina Central University Lady Eagles amassed double-figure kills in a five-set (25-20, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 15-13) loss in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.

NCCU senior and freshman duo Emanuelle Santos and Dayanna Arrufat not only scored in double-figures, but provided double-double performances on the night.  Santos paced the maroon and gray with 20 kills and 10 digs, while Arrufat amassed 17 kills and 12 digs.  Senior Shantel Moore concluded the double-figure outing with 14 kills.  Sophomore Jzima-Malaki Kalao delivered 55 assists among the squad, as Arrufat collected four service aces.  Senior Raven King contributed to the defensive with 10 digs, while fellow senior Tasha-Gaye Richards and Moore assisted on three blocks apiece.

Collectively, the Lady Eagles gathered 68 kills on 154 attempts, nine service aces, 49 digs and five team blocks.

Mindy Quimby paced USC Upstate with 12 kills, 10 digs and two service aces, while Morgan Thomas topped the offense with 13 kills.  Emily Sanders guided the offense with 32 assists, as Morgan Page led the digging effort with 16 digs.  Thomas assisted on three blocks and stopped three NCCU attempts alone.

The Spartans accumulated 47 kills on 131 attempts, 43 digs, two service aces and nine team blocks.
USC Upstate captured set one and set two wins with scores of 25-20 and 25-20. 

During set one of play, USC Upstate paced to an early 12-7 run before NCCU took a timeout.  Both squads returned to the hardwood with the Spartans ready to seal the match, but with USC Upstate one-point away from the win, NCCU went on a 6-1 run led by a kill from Moore.

Nonetheless, Sanders ended the run with a kill securing the set one win.

Still surging off the first set win, USC Upstate hit set two with an early 6-0 run and even extended the lead to 13-6.  Forcing NCCU to take a timeout out the 13-6 mark, which proved to be the moment they needed to regain composure and rattle the Spartans.  The mighty maroon outscored the visiting squad 7-3, closing the margin to two points and forcing USC Upstate to take its first timeout of the match with a score of 16-14.

Returning from the bench, NCCU made every attempt to reduce the margin but, the Spartans offense overpowered the Eagles and USC Upstate sealed the win by outscoring NCCU 8-6.

The mighty maroon returned from the standard-match intermission seeking vengeance and determined for a set three victory.  The third set consisted of 12 ties, five lead changes and match-low .077 hitting percentage for USC Upstate.  The two teams saw their final tie at the 15-15 mark.  To take a 25-20 win, NCCU monopolized on five Spartan errors and crushed four kills in USC Upstate territory.

The Eagles hit set four with the same demonstrative attitude, holding the visiting squad to a match-low 14 points.  NCCU controlled the set from the first serve, taking a nine-point margin lead at the 21-12 mark and forcing USC Upstate to take their second timeout of the set in a matter of six plays. 

The mighty maroon managed to discombobulate the entire Spartan serve receive and offensive game, forcing a match-low six kills and five reception errors.  Following USC Upstate’s final timeout, NCCU cruised to a 25-14 set three victory.
The fifth and final set was a championship style set, with NCCU pulling out of a five-point deficit and tying the contest at the 13-13 mark.  With fans on their feet, USC Upstate’s Paige Weiland slipped a kill into NCCU territory for the one-point advantage and a hitting error by Arrufat concluded the night.  The Eagles suffered their second five-set heartbreaker at 15-13.

NCCU drops to 3-22 on the season, while USC Upstate advances to 8-18.

Following Wednesday’s victory, the maroon and gray will continue its three-match homestand with a Friday, Nov. 4 contest against Bethune-Cookman at 7:00 p.m., and concluded with a 3:00 p.m. match on Sunday, Nov. 6 against Florida A&M.

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