GREENVILLE, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-14) non-conference road battle to the East Carolina Pirates on Tuesday, Sept. 30 in Greenville, N.C., at Minges Coliseum.

After an early 8-6 lead during the first set, the Pirates pushed out a 6-0 run, taking a 12-8 advantage over the Eagles.

While ECU kept the led, a Kelsey Murphy (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) kill late in the set kept NCCU alive as they trailed the Pirates 23-21 before the Eagles fell 25-21.

The next two sets were all ECU as the Pirates held NCCU to 15 points in the second match, and 14 in the third.

Offensively, Murphy led the way for the Eagles collection a team-best 10 kills, in addition to her seven digs and two service aces.

Denni Johnson (Ashburn, Va.) trailed Murphy, adding seven kills, once service aces and a game-best four blocks.

The setter role was split between senior Alice Genna (Rome, Italy) and rookie Paige Phillips (Birmingham, Ala.) as they collected 12 and 11 assists respectively.

On the defensive side of the net, redshirt junior Melissa Rabell Pineiro (Canovanas, Puerto Rico) picked up a team-best nine digs, followed by Murphy's seven, while junior Kelly Rossip (Port Charlotte, Fla.) finished behind Johnson's four blocks, adding three.

The Eagles return to action this weekend, Friday Oct. 3 and Sunday Oct. 5 as NCCU's travels to the sunshine state taking on Florida A&M in Tallahassee and Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach, during Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play.