DURHAM, N.C. – After finishing 0-4 at the Wake Forest Deacon Invitational this past weekend, the North Carolina Central University volleyball team is set to host Big South opponent UNC Asheville, Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m., in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.

LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles (0-8) fell to Presbyterian Friday (Sept. 5), 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-17), during the invitational opener, before falling to the host Demon Deacons in three sets (25-16, 25-21, 25-13). NCCU wrapped up tournament action being swept by Davidson Saturday (Sept. 6) morning (25-19, 25-14, 25-19) and dropped its second match of the season to Wofford, 3-0 (25-17, 25-14, 25-18) during the final weekend match.

Sophomore outside hitter Kelsey Murphy (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) garnered all-tournament accolades for the Eagles in Winston-Salem as she led the team offensively, totaling 26 kills (2.17 k/s) and three service aces, while also contributing on the defensive end with 19 digs and three blocks.

LEADING NCCU
Murphy also leads NCCU offensively on the season with 55 kills (2.20 k/s) and six service aces. She has also collected 38 digs and eight total blocks.

Trailing Murphy is the senior duo of Ashley McCarthy (Elmont, N.Y.) and Da'sha Brown (Gaston, S.C.) who have collected 40 kills apiece, while running the offense for the Eagles has been rookie Paige Phillips (Birmingham, Ala.), who has dished 119 (5.41 a/s) assist on the season.

Defensively, redshirt junior Melissa Rabell Pineiro (Canovanas, Puerto Rico) heads NCCU with 56 digs on the season (2.24 d/s), in addition to junior Kelly Rossip's (Port Charlotte, Fla.) team-best 17 blocks.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
UNC Asheville (1-5) is coming off its season-first victory after the Bulldogs defeated Elon in a five-set match (25-18, 25-20, 23-25, 21-25, 15-9) to close out the Kennesaw State Invitational in Georgia.

Sophomore outside hitter Shelby Erickson currently leads UNC Asheville on the offensive end with 60 kills (2.61 k/s)  on the season, while junior Christine Lakatos trails with 48 kills and adds a team-best 2.57 digs per set (59 total). Directing the Bulldogs offense thus far has been junior Katie Davis and freshman Amanda Powers who have totaled 192 combined assists, 109 and 83 respectively.

SERIES WITH UNC ASHEVILLE
Tuesday's match marks the fourth meeting between NCCU and UNC Asheville since the Eagles transition to Division I in 2007. The Bulldogs lead the series, 3-0, as the Eagles lone set victory came in 2007 while in Asheville. The two teams met last on Sept. 3, 2013, when UNC Asheville swept NCCU 3-0 (25-16 25-13 25-16) in the Justice Center.

UP NEXT
NCCU travels south this weekend as the Eagles participate in the Charleston Southern Invitational (Sept. 12-13). NCCU squares off with Jacksonville at 12 p.m., and USC-Upstate at 4 p.m., on Friday, before the Eagles take the court against the host Buccaneers on Saturday at 11 a.m.