SAVANNAH, Ga. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team tallied season-high marks of 14 blocks and a .222 hitting percentage in a 3-0 sweep of host Savannah State University to remain perfect in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division play Sunday afternoon.
 
The Lady Eagles start 2-0 in the league for the first time since joining the MEAC in 2011 and improved to 3-8 overall with the 25-23, 25-11, 25-17 victory. The Lady Tigers are winless on the season at 0-20 overall and 0-4 in conference skirmishes.
 
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Sophomore Jazmine Daye and freshman Nia Singletary both posted career-high block totals. Daye led the way with three solo blocks and four block assists and Singletary followed with five block assists.
 
NCCU's 14 blocks are the most since the Lady Eagles had 14 rejections in a match against Norfolk State University on Nov. 16, 2012. Sophomore Whitney White and senior Kelsey Murphy also contributed to the impressive front-row defensive effort with five and four total blocks, respectively.
 
The hot-hitting Lady Eagles used a balanced attack with White pacing the offense with eight kills. Daye ripped six kills; Murphy and senior Casey Curran smashed five apiece; and Singletary chipped in four spikes.
 
Junior setter Paige Phillips posted her second double-double of the season with a match-high 23 assists and 13 digs. Murphy scooped a team- and season-best 14 digs while sophomore libero Bree Simmons and Curran also reached double-figure digs with 11 and 10, correspondingly. Curran and Simmons launched two kills apiece.
 
SAVANNAH STATE HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Senior Caitlynn Masoe flirted with triple-double numbers with box score totals of eight kills, nine assists and seven digs. Senior libero Alexis Washington topped all players with 16 digs and junior setter Alee Quint tacked on 17 assists and nine digs.
 
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: The Lady Eagles trailed 23-20 before making a gutsy rally late. NCCU won the next five serves to fly ahead and win the close opener, which shifted the momentum to the visitors for the rest of the match. A kill and block assist by Singletary started the closing run. Daye tallied a trio of kills and blocks in the frame while Singletary and White each add three spikes apiece.
 
2ND: After losing the first point, NCCU scored the next eight points to take command early. The Lady Eagles advantage grew to double digits on a Phillips ace at 17-7, before coasting to the 14-point triumph. NCCU hit .333 in the frame with Murphy posting her first three kills and Curran serving up a pair of aces.
 
3RD: The maroon and gray gradually pulled away from Savannah State in the final set to complete the sweep. A pair of Curran kills during a 5-1 surge put NCCU ahead 12-7. After two points by the Lady Tigers, another 10-3 run pushed the Lady Eagles cushion to 10 points at 22-12, which featured three blocks by White, before settling for the eight-point conquest.
 
4TH:
OTHER NOTES, STATS & FACTS:
NCCU won its fifth consecutive tilt against Savannah State and moved to 12-1 against the Lady Tigers since joining the DI ranks in 2007.
 
UP NEXT:
NCCU returns to Durham for a pair of MEAC battles next weekend. The Lady Eagles will first host Florida A&M University inside McDougald-McLendon Arena on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m., and then entertain Bethune-Cookkman University at Charles E. Jordan High School on Sunday, Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. For more information, fans are encouraged to visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com.