GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina Central University seniors
Casey Curran and
Kelsey Murphy combined for nearly 40 points in leading the Lady Eagles to a dramatic 3-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference road win against archrival North Carolina A&T State University Friday night.
NCCU (6-16 Overall, 5-5 MEAC) spoiled the Aggies Senior Day with the 22-25, 25-19, 31-29, 23-25, 15-13 conquest. The Lady Eagles finish regular season play with one more win than in 2015. North Carolina A&T (9-14, 6-4) lost its third straight match entering the 2016 MEAC Tournament.
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Curran topped the Lady Eagles with 19.5 points and Murphy followed closely behind with 18 points. Curran tallied 16 kills, three aces and one block assist while Murphy netted 14 kills and four aces. Murphy and Curran added 19 and 16 digs, respectively, to complete a pair of double-doubles.
Junior setter
Paige Phillips totaled 41 assists and 19 digs. Five total players in maroon and gray finished with 10-plus digs, including 15 by sophomore
Bree Simmons and 11 by freshman
Kennedy White.
Sophomore middle blocker
Whitney White chipped in nine kills and six blocks (three solo).
NCAT HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Junior Alyssa Pitt supplied a match-high 20 kills. Classmate Samara Brown connected for 14 kills and led all players with 26 digs.
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: NCCU committed twice as many errors, 10, than kills, 5, as NCAT squeaked out a three-point win. The score was deadlocked at 21-all when the Aggies finished the frame on a 4-1 run to take the early edge.
2ND: The Lady Eagles broke a 9-9 tie with a 5-0 run to take control of second set. The outburst featured two aces by Curran, who also ended the six-point win with a kill that leveled the match.
3RD: The marathon middle frame consisted of 11 ties and six changes before NCCU sealed the 31-29 win. On the Lady Eagles' sixth chance at set point,
Kennedy White ended the extended period with a kill. Curran had seven of her 16 kills in the set.
4TH: NCCU led by as many as five before the Aggies rallied to force a decisive fifth set. NCAT outscored the Lady Eagles by a 16-9 margin down the stretch.
5TH: In the race to 15 points, NCCU constructed a four-point lead twice at 10-6 and 12-8. The hosts kept fighting and avoided two match-points to close within one at 14-13 before a spike by Murphy clinched the Lady Eagle conquest. NCCU saved its best for last, scoring nine of its 15 points on kills while firing at a .269 clip.
OTHER NOTES, STATS & FACTS:
NCCU improved to 7-14 against NCAT since joining the DI ranks in 2007. The two teams have split the regular-season series each of the past three seasons.
UP NEXT:
NCCU returns to postseason play after a year hiatus and will play top-seeded Howard University in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament on Friday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. The eight-team event will take place on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore campus in Princess Anne, Maryland. For more information, fans are encouraged to visit
www.NCCUEaglePride.com.
