DURHAM, N.C. – A double-double by junior Kelsey Murphy and a strong display by the Lady Eagles defense led the North Carolina Central University volleyball team to a dominating 3-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over heated rival North Carolina A&T State University on Friday afternoon in the L.T. Walker Complex.
 
NCCU (2-15 Overall, 1-0 MEAC) posted its most digs and blocks in a three-set match all season in rolling to the 25-17, 25-21, 25-20 win over its in-state rival. NCAT (2-7, 0-1) has lost its last two matches against to the Lady Eagles.
 
NCCU HEAD COACH NICKI HOLMES QUOTES:
"I was really impressed with our ability to erase adversity but I was really, really impressed with the family atmosphere here. The fans brought a lot of energy to the floor. Hats off to the Aggies. They did a really good job adjusting to our offense but I was really proud of our Lady Eagles."
 
"We took in the challenge of playing a lot of road games in our preseason so the preparation of that and the lessons we learned, we took that and compressed it into this week to prepare for this match."
 
"We are going to enjoy this win tonight and then tomorrow we will move on to South Carolina State. That is how we prepare and embrace the challenge and look forward to it."
 
NCCU SENIOR KELLY ROSSIP QUOTES:
"It feels great, you know, to finally come together as a team. The atmosphere today was just great."
 
"It was a great win against Norfolk State but obviously this rivalry is a lot bigger. It was our first actual conference match so it felt great to come in here and do all the things we had to do to follow the process."
 
"It was truly amazing seeing all the fans we had, especially for our rivalry game. It was just so amazing having everyone supporting us."
 
"We have been working really hard together lately and our pass system is coming together. Our hitting is just phenomenal now."
 
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Murphy compiled 15 kills and 10 digs for her fourth double-double of the campaign. Senior Kelly Rossip and freshman Kierra Shipman helped the Lady Eagles to a .167 team hitting percentage by banging down 10 and six kills, respectively.
 
Rossip blasted her 10 kills on 23 attempts and only had two errors for a staggering .348 clip. She finished with 15 points by adding two aces and five blocks (one solo, four assists) to her 10 kills.
 
NCCU had four players with double-digit digs. Sophomore Paige Phillips and freshman Tamika Brekke each made 13 successful passes and senior Marilyn Sherbondy added 11 digs.
 
Junior Jennifer Allison joined Rossip with four block assists while Shipman and junior Casey Curran each added three. Curran tallied 30 assists on the Eagles 37 kills.
 
NCAT HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Senior Brooke Stamnes and sophomore Samara Brown paced the Aggies with eight kills apiece. Freshman Keniah Rivera led all players with 14 digs.
 
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: NCCU went on a 4-0 run during Rossip's service rotation to double up the visitors early at 8-4. The Lady Eagles stayed ahead from that point and six Rossip kills in the frame coasted the hosts to the eight-point triumph. NCCU's attack was sizzling with 12 kills and a .276 hitting percentage.
 
2ND: The Aggies kept the middle set the closest as it was their only set that they had more kills than hitting errors. There were 11 ties until NCCU broke the final deadlock at 15-15 with a 6-0 run that featured two kills by Murphy and a spike by freshman Whitney White. NCAT kept fighting but kills by Shipman and Rossip finished off the three-point set in favor of the Maroon and Gray. Murphy crushed eight kills and NCCU made 26 digs in the period including six apiece by Brekke and Phillips.
 
3RD: After trading points early, another kill by White put the Lady Eagles ahead for good at 10-9. The Aggies pulled to within one at 16-15 before a Shipman spike and a block by Shipman and Rossip kept NCCU in front to complete the sweep with a five-point set conquest.
 
OTHER NOTES, STATS & FACTS:
NCCU increased its NCAA Division I era winning ways against NCAT to 10 games over .500 at 14-4 (2007 to present).
 
UP NEXT:
NCCU will wrap up its three-match MEAC homestand hosting South Carolina State University and Savannah State University next weekend. The Lady Eagles will first entertain the Bulldogs on Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. and then the Tigers on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. For complete information, fans are encouraged to visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com.