Box Score
BALTIMORE, Md. – For the second straight year, North Carolina Central University dropped a five-set heartbreaker in the opening round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Championship, this time to Norfolk State (17-25, 26-24, 25-9, 24-26, 15-12) on Friday night in Baltimore, Md.
Last year, the Eagles made their conference tournament debut by taking the eventual champion, Maryland Eastern Shore, to five sets. On Friday, NCCU, a three-seed out of the MEAC Southern Division, ended its season against the second-seeded Spartans of the MEAC North.
NCCU outside hitter
Christine Anthony, who was announced as the MEAC Rookie of the Year on Thursday, topped the Eagles with 18 kills and 14 digs to achieve her 10th double-double of the season. She also chipped in two service aces to account for 20.5 points.
Other leaders for NCCU were redshirt freshman
Denni Johnson with 12 kills, the third time she reached double figures this season; sophomore
Dayana Arrufat Rondon with 10 kills, eight digs and two blocks; sophomore
Ashley McCarthy with seven kills and four blocks; junior
Kalin Russell with five kills and a team-high eight blocks; and sophomore setter
Alice Genna with 48 assists, seven digs and a career-high seven blocks.
The Eagles stormed out of the gates by recording 17 kills with only one error on 27 attempts for a .593 hitting percentage during a 25-16 win in the first set.
Norfolk State responded by opening the second set with an 8-4 advantage, but the Eagles used an 8-2 run to move ahead 12-10. NCCU led by as much as three points before the Spartans rallied to even the score at 21-21. The Eagles were one-point away from taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the match at 24-22, but Norfolk State scored four unanswered points to steal the second set, 26-24.
After a 10-minute intermission, NCCU’s second-set disappointment continued to show as the Spartans scored the first five points of the third set and cruised to a 25-9 win.
Somehow, the Eagles responded with an inspiring fourth set that saw six ties and four lead changes. NCCU held a comfortable 20-15 cushion when the Spartans battled back to tie the score at 20-20. The Eagles answered the challenge by recording three straight points for a 23-20 lead, but NSU rallied to even the score again, 23-23. NCCU faced match point trailing 24-23, but the determined Eagles posted three straight points, including a Genna-McCarthy combo block to close out the fourth set, 26-24.
The fifth and deciding set was a nail-biter. Much like the dramatic fourth set, the final frame witnessed eight ties and three lead changes. NCCU was the first to separate itself with a two-point advantage at 8-6. Then Norfolk State used a 6-1 run for a 12-9 lead. The Eagles made it interesting by narrowing the gap to 12-11 and 13-12, but two straight attack errors sealed their fate.
NCCU ends its season with a conference record of 6-4 and an overall mark of 8-22, a three-win improvement from a year ago.
