DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team will try and remain over .500 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) standings as the Lady Eagles conclude the first half of Southern Division play with a couple matches in Florida this upcoming weekend.
NCCU will first play Florida A&M University (Tallahassee, Fla.) on Friday at 7 p.m., before visiting Bethune-Cookman University (Daytona Beach, Fla.) for a Sunday clash at 12 p.m.
MATCH INFORMATION Friday, October 9 at 7:00 PMN.C. Central at Florida A&M
Tallahassee, Fla. – Al Lawson Center
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SERIES: NCCU is still in search of its first win over the Rattlers with FAMU holding a perfect 10-0 ledger against the Lady Eagles (modern era since 2007).
Saturday, October 11 at 12:00 PMN.C. Central at Bethune-Cookman
Daytona Beach, Fla. – Moore Gymnasium
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SERIES: The Wildcats moved over .500 against NCCU at 8-6 with a season series sweep of the Lady Eagles in 2014. NCCU did take B-CU to five sets in Daytona Beach last season.
North Carolina Central University Volleyball The Lady Eagles just completed a three-match homestand to start MEAC play with a pair of wins against North Carolina A&T and Savannah State wrapped around a loss to South Carolina State. NCCU (3-16 Overall, 2-1 MEAC) currently sits in a three-way tie for second in the league's Southern Division with NCAT and FAMU.
Junior outside hitter
Kelsey Murphy, who ranks second in the league with 3.55 kills per set, will have a chance to move to the top spot this weekend as she goes head-to-head with league leader Delicia Pierre (B-CU) on Sunday. Murphy has reached double-digit kills in 14 of 17 matches and has recorded four double-doubles with an average of 2.16 digs per set.
Freshman
Kierra Shipman is the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week with an average of 1.67 kills per set. She joins Murphy and senior
Kelly Rossip (2.25), freshman
Sydney Sumner (2.13) and freshman
Whitney White (1.00) with an average of at least one kill per set.
Rossip tops the Lady Eagles with 0.60 blocks per set and her team-best .218 hitting percentage ranks 10th in the conference.
In specialist roles, junior setter
Casey Curran and freshman defensive specialist
Tamika Brekke pace the Lady Eagles in their respective positions with 7.42 assists per set and 3.55 digs per set. Senior
Marilyn Sherbondy adds 2.28 digs per set; sophomore
Paige Phillips chips in 3.15 assists and 1.89 digs per set; and freshman
Bree Simmons serves up 0.37 aces per set.
Florida A&M University Volleyball The reigning MEAC Southern Division regular season champion Rattlers opened up league play with sweeps of Savannah State and South Carolina State but were unable to stay undefeated last Friday, suffering a 3-0 loss to Bethune-Cookman. FAMU (2-14 Overall, 2-1 MEAC) is tied with NCCU and NCAT for second place in the division.
Preseason MEAC Player of the Year Pamela Soriano is not having a sophomore slump after earning MEAC Rookie of the Year laurels in 2014. The outside hitter is averaging a team-best 2.93 kills per set and 2.14 digs per set.
Senior middle blocker Ginna Lopez-Chavis is a two-time First Team All-MEAC honoree and is averaging 2.52 points per set, including averages of 1.70 kills, 0.79 blocks and 0.36 aces per set.
Freshman Valentina Carrasco has taken over the libero dutes for the Rattlers and is averaging 3.56 digs per set. FAMU is using a two-setter system with junior transfer Ailin Donati (4.70 assists/set) and sophomore Valerie Lopez (4.81) averaging similar assists figures.
Bethune-Cookman University Volleyball The Wildcats are the MEAC Southern Division frontrunners after starting league play with wins against South Carolina State, Savannah State and Florida A&M. Bethune-Cookman (6-12 Overall, 3-0 MEAC) will host North Carolina A&T on Friday before entertaining the NCCU Lady Eagles on Sunday.
B-CU has jumped into first place with a veteran squad that returned all six of its starters from a 2014 squad that went 8-2 in the conference.
Senior Delicia Pierre, who just reached 1,000 career kills in her Wildcat career, leads the league with 3.57 kills per set. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter is also tallying 2.18 digs and 0.77 blocks per set. Pierre gets plenty of support with classmate Rhea Simon tallying a second-best 2.47 kills per set.
Bethune-Cookman had its primary specialists both earn preseason All-MEAC acclaim. Senior setter Hazel Ortiz-Rosado is second in the league with 8.87 assists. Junior libero Normarie Rolon paces the Wildcats back row with 3.37 digs and Ortiz-Rosado follows with 2.73 digs per set.
Junior Phylecia Armstrong and sophomore Rakaya Neely rank fourth and seventh, individually, in the league for the MEAC's top blocking team. Armstrong averages 0.93 blocks and Neely stuffs 0.87 blocks per set. Armstrong also contributes 1.72 kills per set on a team-high .290 hitting percentage.
