DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team will try and remain undefeated in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division standings when the Lady Eagles host South Carolina State University and Savannah State University over the weekend.
NCCU will first entertain the Lady Bulldogs from SCSU on Friday at 7 p.m., before hosting the Lady Tigers of SSU on Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission is free to the L.T. Walker Complex.
MATCH INFO Friday, Oct. 2S.C. State at N.C. Central
Walker Complex – Durham, N.C.
LIVE AUDIO |
LIVE STATSSERIES: NCCU will be looking to stay over .500 against South Carolina State with an 8-7 series edge in the program's modern era (since 2007). The Lady Eagles, who are 5-2 at home against the Bulldogs, split last year's series with the home team winning each contest.
Sunday, Oct. 4Savannah St. at N.C. Central
Walker Complex –Durham, N.C.
LIVE AUDIO |
LIVE STATSSERIES: NCCU holds a commanding 9-1 series advantage against Savannah State including a pair of 3-0 wins over the Lady Tigers last season. The Lady Eagles are 5-0 at home against SSU.
North Carolina Central University Volleyball The Lady Eagles picked up a convincing 3-0 win over archrival North Carolina A&T State University last Friday. NCCU (2-15 Overall, 1-0 MEAC) has won two of its last three matches.
Junior outside hitter
Kelsey Murphy entered the week ranked second in the MEAC in kills per set (per NCAA Stats Report thru games Sept. 27), averaging a whopping 3.48 spikes per set. The 2014 All-MEAC performer also provides over two digs per set.
Middle blocker
Kelly Rossip ranks 10th in the league with a .221 hitting percentage and her 132 total kills is the third highest total out of that top-10 as she follows Murphy with 2.70 kills per set. Rossip's outstanding senior season also includes a team-best 0.58 blocks per set.
A trio of freshmen also average over one kill per set for NCCU, including
Sydney Sumner (2.44),
Kierra Shipman (1.93) and
Whitney White (1.26).
Junior setter
Casey Curran orchestrates the Lady Eagles attack with 7.32 assists per set, which is good for eighth in the MEAC. Curran is one of seven NCCU netters making at least one dig per set with 1.74 digs per set. Freshman
Tamika Brekke leads the squad with 3.73 digs per set (5th in the MEAC) and gets defensive support from senior
Marilyn Sherbondy (2.19), sophomore
Paige Phillips (1.66) and freshman
Bree Simmons (1.23).
Simmons serves up a team-high 0.32 aces per set.
NCCU has had its two highest blocking totals in its two wins and junior
Jennifer Allison has paced the Lady Eagles front-row defense with 1.12 blocks per set in the pair of triumphs.
South Carolina State University Volleyball The Lady Bulldogs remained winless on the season after opening up MEAC play with a pair of 3-0 home losses to Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University last weekend. South Carolina State (0-10 Overall, 0-2 MEAC) did keep each set close against the top two favorites to win the Southern Division, scoring 20-plus points in all six sets.
The sophomore middle-blocker tandem of Kirby Anderson and Kiana Stone have highlighted play for a S.C. State blocking core that ranks third in the MEAC with nearly two blocks per set. Anderson (0.94) and Stone (0.79) both rank in the top-10 of the league in blocks per set.
Freshman 6-foot-1 Brianna Dafney has made an immediate impact for the Lady Bulldogs with a team-high 2.74 kills per set to go along with 1.53 digs, 0.47 blocks and 0.26 aces per set. Anderson and senior Marissa Lawrence are other significant contributors on SCSU's attack as they each average over two kills per set. Anderson also paces the Lady Bulldogs with 2.41 digs per set.
Senior setter Melanie has been a busy Bulldog with 8.50 assists per set. She has accounted for 289 of SCSU's 332 assists (87%).
Savannah State University Volleyball The Lady Tigers also lost to Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M last weekend in straight sets. Savannah State (0-19 Overall, 0-2 MEAC), who will play North Carolina A&T on Friday before visiting Durham on Sunday, has not won a set this season and the Lady Tigers last win against a fellow NCAA Division I program was against NCCU in its 2013 season finale (Nov. 13, 2013).
As of the last NCAA statistics report, SSU ranked last in the league in nearly all major statistical categories including assists per set, blocks per set, digs per set, kills per set and hitting percentage.
Junior setter Caitlynn Masoe is the Lady Tigers top player to watch out for leading the program with 1.36 kills per set, 3.40 assists per set and a .088 hitting percentage. Masoe is second on the team with 11 aces and third with 14 blocks.
Freshman Makayla Tam (1.35 kills/set, 0.25 aces/set), Christian Lyle (1.25 kills/set, 0.37 blocks/set) and junior Gabrielle Nathaniel (1.20 kills/set, 0.29 blocks/set) are the Lady Tigers other top point producers.
Junior libero Alexis Washington tops Savannah State's back row with over three digs per set.
