DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A straight-set setback against host Bethune-Cookman University on Sunday ended any chance of the North Carolina Central University volleyball team moving up the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division standings before the league tournament in two weekends.
 
The Wildcats jumped into second place in the Southern Division with the 25-15, 25-17, 25-10 victory over the Lady Eagles. Bethune-Cookman (9-20 Overall, 7-3) will have 12 days to prepare for the MEAC Tournament with no games until the event starts in Princess Anne, Maryland, on Friday, Nov. 18. NCCU (5-16, 4-5) will be the fourth seed in the conference tourney and will play the top seed from the Northern Division in Howard University in the quarterfinals.
 
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Sophomore middle blocker Whitney White and senior outside hitter Casey Curran combined for 16 of NCCU's 27 total points. White led the way with 8.5 points, including five kills, four blocks (one solo, three assists) and one aces. Curran tallied 7.5 points, featuring four kills, three aces and one block assist.
 
Senior Kelsey Murphy and freshman Nia Singletary chipped in three kills apiece. Murphy led the Lady Eagles defensive efforts with 16 digs. Junior setter Paige Phillips added 13 assists and two block assists.
 
BCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
The Wildcats secured their second straight win by attacking with a .371 hitting percentage. Freshman Alana Handy paced the hot-hitting squad with 13 kills. Junior Rakaya Neely supplied nine kills while seniors Jill Arlaud and Lauren Tayler both netted eight spikes.
 
Junior setter Phalen Clark orchestrated the Wildcats attack with 42 assists.
 
Senior libero Normarie Rolon Soto and classmate middle blocker Phylecia Armstrong topped BCU's defensive effort. Rolon Soto picked up 18 digs and Armstrong rejected NCCU five times with three solo blocks and two block assists.
 
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: NCCU held a couple early leads at 2-1 and 3-2 on kills by freshman Kennedy White and Murphy. Bethune-Cookman used a 7-1 run to push ahead 9-4 and used 17 kills and a .353 hitting percentage to win the opener by 10. Whitney White paced the Lady Eagles with three kills.
 
2ND: The Wildcats won the first five points and raced out to a 10-2 cushion. The early surge featured two kills and two blocks by Armstrong and BCU eventually clinched the middle frame by the same eight-point margin. Curran had four kills.
 
3RD: Curran served up her third ace to start the period, but Bethune-Cookman quickly had the Lady Eagles doubled up at 10-5 and tripled up at 21-7 before sealing up the 15-point conquest. BCU hit a sensational .565.
 
OTHER NOTES, STATS & FACTS:
NCCU slips to 6-12 against BCU since joining the DI ranks in 2007.
 
UP NEXT:
NCCU will wrap its regular season slate with a road showdown against MEAC archrival North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro on Friday at 7:30 p.m. For more information, fans are encouraged to visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com.