DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team returns home and will try and move over .500 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a big showdown against rival North Carolina A&T State University inside McDougald-McLendon Arena on Friday at 6 p.m.
 
NCCU will be providing pay-per-view video ($7.95) of the match along with free audio and live stats. NCCU Sports Network broadcaster Mike Wood will be on air with the play-by-play. Fans can follow NCCU volleyball all season by visiting NCCUEaglePride.com and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
PROMOTION
 
Girl's Night Out - Youth Groups are encouraged to attend NCCU's rivalry match
 
MATCH INFO
 
Friday, October 21 | 6 p.m.
North Carolina A&T at NCCU
VIDEO | AUDIO | LIVE STATS
 
N.C. Central Volleyball
 
The Lady Eagles are 2-2 in the MEAC and are currently in a playoff position for the league championship in fourth place in the Southern Division. A win Friday would move NCCU (3-12 Overall) into a third-place tie with the Aggies.
 
A trio of Lady Eagles average over two points per set. Senior outside hitter Casey Curran leads the way with 2.61 points per set, which includes a team-high 2.36 kills per set. Sophomore middle blocker Whitney White adds 2.16 points per set, featuring 1.77 kills and 0.55 blocks per set. Senior outside hitter Kelsey Murphy chips in 2.03 points per set with most of her points coming on an average of 1.81 kills per set. Sophomore Jazmine Daye follows closely with 1.71 points per set on 1.29 kills and a team-high 0.67 blocks per set (10th in the MEAC).
 
The maroon and gray continue to use the same specialist with junior setter Paige Phillips ranking eighth in the MEAC with 6.70 assists per set and sophomore libero Bree Simmons ranking ninth in the league with 3.45 digs per set. Simmons also leads the squad in aces for a second straight year with 11 (0.23 aces/set).
 
NCCU is 14-5 against North Carolina A&T in its DI era (since 2007). The two rivals split last year's regular-season series with the home team winning each contest.
 
North Carolina A&T Volleyball
 
The Aggies are one-game ahead of NCCU in the MEAC standings with a 3-1 league ledger. North Carolina A&T (6-11 Overall) has defeated Savannah State University, South Carolina State University and Bethune-Cookman University and lost to first-place Florida A&M University.
 
Junior outside hitter Samara Brown highlights play for the Aggies with 3.35 kills per set, which ranks fourth best in the MEAC. Brown also ranks ninth in the conference with 0.33 aces per set.
 
NCAT has five other regulars that are averaging between one and two kills per set, with junior Alyssa Pitt topping the group with 1.97 spikes per game. Classmate Jasmine Lindor is third in the MEAC with 0.90 blocks per set while also providing one kill per set.
 
Senior Liz Martino (5.71 assists/set) is NCAT's primary setter and sophomore Keniah Rivera (3.45 digs/set) sports the libero jersey for the Aggies.