Box Score
DURHAM, N.C. – Seniors Kelsey Murphy and Casey Curran netted over half of North Carolina Central University's points in a 3-0 non-conference loss to visiting Winthrop University in volleyball action Friday evening inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
Winthrop (8-8) leveled its record with the 25-16, 25-13, 25-19 victory. NCCU (1-7) suffered its third consecutive setback.
 
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Murphy and Curran both blasted nine kills. Murphy added an ace for a team-high 10 points.
 
The sophomore tandem of Jazmine Daye and White White continued their steady play as both middle blockers tallied five kills.
 
Junior setter Paige Phillips provided 27 assists and sophomore libero Bree Simmons scooped up a match-high 12 digs and served up a pair of aces.
 
WINTRHOP HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Winthrop hit a season-high .405 in the match with freshman Siani Yamaguchi supplying the Eagles attack with 34 assists.
 
Senior Brianna Gray smoked 12 kills on just 15 attempts (.733) and freshman Sydney Gunter followed closely with 11 kills.
 
The visitors had 11 team blocks with freshman Kelsey Schroll pacing the front-row defense with six total blocks (one solo, five assists).
 
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: The opener consisted of five lead changes early. NCCU last led on a Murphy kill at 6-5 before Winthrop won the next four points to jump ahead for good. The Winthrop Eagles made six of their 11 blocks in the first set to pull away for the nine-point win.
 
2ND: Winthrop pounded down 14 kills on 23 swings with two errors for a staggering .522 hitting percentage in winning the coast-to-coast middle set. Senior Emma Weakland posted a perfect five kills on five attempts to highlight the 12-point set win.
 
3RD: NCCU had its best set of the match in the third and grabbed a quick 5-1 edge. Winthrop rallied but the two squads played a tight set from that point with nine total ties in the game. Murphy knotted the scoreboard for the last time at 14-all with a kill. Winthrop answered with the next three points pull ahead, which started an 11-5 closing run to win by six points.
 
OTHER NOTES, STATS & FACTS:
Winthrop is 7-0 against the Lady Eagles in NCCU's Division I era (since 2007).
 
UP NEXT:
NCCU will play one more non-conference match before Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play begins next weekend when the Lady Eagles host Gardner-Webb University on Tuesday at 6 p.m. For more information, fans are encouraged to visit www.NCCUEaglePride.com.