ROCK HILL, S.C. – Freshman
Whitney White tallied a match-high 12 kills, junior
Casey Curran posted her third double-double and senior
Kelly Rossip served up four aces in her final match to highlight play for visiting North Carolina Central University in a 3-0 non-conference road loss at Winthrop University on Tuesday evening.
The Winthrop Eagles (12-17 Overall) have won three consecutive matches after holding off NCCU (5-23) in straight-set scores of 25-13, 25-11 and 30-28. NCCU ended its 2015 season.
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:White – the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week – had over half of the Lady Eagles 22 kills with her dozen spikes. White pounded down 12 kills on 26 attempts with just three errors for a .346 hitting percentage. White also had five block assists for 14.5 points.
Rossip and freshman
Sydney Sumner had three kills apiece. Curran totaled 16 assists and 10 digs. Rossip fired four aces and Curran chipped in three aces. Senior
Marilyn Sherbondy, who is NCCU's lone four-year letter winner leaving the program, matched Curran with 10 digs.
WU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:Five Eagles notched five or more kills in a balanced attack that finished with a .228 hitting percentage. Nikki Drost and Brianna Gray both blasted eight kills. Madilyn McCarty had 33 assists and nine blocks (one solo, eight assists). Maria Volstad logged a match-high 15 digs.
SET-BY-SET:1ST: A trio of aces by Rossip highlighted an opening 6-0 run by NCCU. Winthrop finally broke Rossip's serve on a kill by sophomore Nikki Drost and outscored the visitors by a 25-7 margin from that point. The hosts hit .346 in the frame and NCCU committed 10 hitting errors to contribute to the 12-point win by Winthrop.
2ND: The Winthrop Eagles served up six aces in the middle period. Three consecutive aces by Drost to start the second put them ahead from the beginning and NCCU never threatened in the 14-point loss.
3RD: NCCU led for most of the third set but a late rally by Winthrop extended the set before the hosts won the 30-28 marathon to close out the match. The NCCU Lady Eagles were serving for set point at 24-20 after a Sumner kill but Winthrop won the next four points. A pair of kills by Rossip and Murphy gave NCCU a fifth and sixth chance at set point at 25-24 and 26-25 but Winthrop survived both times before finally breaking the sixth tie at 28-all by winning the last two decisive points. White registered eight of her 12 kills in the third set.
OTHER NOTES, STATS & FACTS: Winthrop remained undefeated against NCCU, improving to 6-0 against them since the Lady Eagles joined NCAA Division I in 2007.
