NCCU Invitational Home Page
DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University opens the 2013 women's volleyball season by hosting three teams in the NCCU Invitational on Friday and Saturday (Aug. 30-31) inside McDougald-McLendon Gym. Admission to all of the weekend matches is free.
This will be the seventh straight year the Eagles open their campaign with a home tournament, as NCCU welcomes teams from University of Evansville, Hampton University and Murray State University.
The NCCU Invitational action begins Friday at 4:30 p.m., with a match-up between Murray State and Evansville followed by the Eagles season-opening game against Hampton at 7:00 p.m.
Saturday's matches feature Evansville versus Hampton at 11 a.m., NCCU hosting Evansville at 1:30 p.m., and Hampton versus Murray State at 3:30 p.m. The final match of the invitational will be between NCCU and Murray State at 5:30 p.m.
2013 OUTLOOK
The North Carolina Central University 2013 volleyball campaign will mark head coach Georgette Crawford-Crooks's eighth season with the Eagles following a 8-22 2012 performance, when NCCU finished second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's Southern Division boosting a 6-4 league record.
RETURNERS
A youthful 2012 team, which graduated no seniors, returns 10 of their 11 letterwinners from last season, led by the 2012 MEAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-MEAC member, Christine Anthony. The Willemstad, Curacao, native was also named to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) University Division All-State Volleyball First Team and led the Eagles in 2012 with 375 kills on 1014 attempts (3.68 per set), ranking her fourth in the MEAC during the 2012 campaign.
The rising sophomore also finished second on the team with 33 services aces, top-five with 37 blocks, led the team with 247 digs (2.42 per set), earned 12 assists and collected team-high 10 double-doubles in kills/digs.
Anthony will be joined by junior setter Alice Genna (Rome, Italy) and senior middle hitter Kalin Russell (Baldwin, N.Y.) to round out the Eagles strong returning offensive trio. As the Eagles number one setter, Genna collected a team-high of 608 assists (7.41 per set) to rank seventh in the MEAC, earned 21 kills on 62 attempts, 18 blocks, 13 services aces and was in the top-five with 107 digs (1.30 per set).
Russell finished third on the team in total kills with 152 on 398 attempts (1.49 per set) during the 2012 season. The Eagles middle hitter also led the team with 36 services aces ranking her seventh in the MEAC, along with contributing 28 solo blocks, 92 total blocks and collecting 73 digs.
NCCU will also look to receive increased contributions from junior outside hitter Ashley McCarthy (Elmont, N.Y.), who ranked in the Eagles top-five in kills with 133 on 347 attempts, earned six service aces, 41 block assists, one solo block, 79 digs and posted two double-digit kill performances against Hampton on Aug. 26 (11) and Oct. 5 versus Florida A&M (10).
Redshirt sophomore Melissa Rabell Pineiro will be asked to give a bigger contribution this season after making an immediate impact as the second setter for the Eagles and defensive specialist in 2012. The Canovanas, Puerto Rico native recorded 345 assists (4.26 per set), tallied 16 kills on 39 attacks, gathered 17 service aces on the season and was among the top-5 in digs with 159 (1.96 per set). Rabell Pineiro notched a season-high 35 assists during the 2012 season opener against UNC-Greensboro on Aug. 24, 2012 with a season-high 22 digs at Bethune-Cookman on Nov. 2, 2012.
Also returning to the Eagles this season will be reserves J'Nae Raynor (Sr., DS, Colorado Springs, Colo.), Denni Johnson (R-So., OH/RS, Ashburn, Va.) and Marilyn Sherbondy (So., L/DS, Fayetteville, N.C.).
NEWCOMERS
NCCU will welcome three junior transfers along with four freshmen during the 2013 season. Da'Sha Brown (Jr., OH, Gaston, S.C.) and Aljalena Thompson (Jr., OH, Goose Creek, S.C.) will join the Eagles from Spartanburg Methodist College, while Emily Eswonia (Jr., OH, Tempe, A.Z.) spent her first two seasons at Indian Hills Community College.
The Eagles will add the rookie foursome of Kelsey Murphy (Fr., OH, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) from Etiwanda High School, Alexis DeGrasse (Fr., OH, Youngsville, N.C.) from Franklinton High School, Ashley Johnson (Fr., MH, Charlotte, N.C.) from Independence and Paisley Williams (Fr., OH, Kings Mountain, N.C.) from Kings Mountain H.S.
For more information about NCCU athletics, visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com or download the NCCU Sports Network app available in the App Store, Google Play and Amazon.
