DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team embarks on its longest road trip of the season to play three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division battles in four days at Florida A&M University (Friday, 7 PM), Bethune-Cookman University (Sunday, 12 PM) and Savannah State University (Monday, 6 PM).
.
NCCU will be providing FREE audio to all three MEAC showdowns. Mike Wood will be on the air providing the play-by-play. Fans can follow NCCU volleyball all season by visiting NCCUEaglePride.com and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
Match Info

Friday, Oct. 13, 7 PM – N.C. Central at Florida A&M
FAMU Developmental Research School, Tallahassee, Fla.
LISTEN
 
Sunday, Oct. 15, 12 PM – N.C. Central at Bethune-Cookman
Moore Gymnasium, Daytona Beach, Fla.
WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
 
Monday, Oct. 16, 6 PM – N.C. Central at Savannah State
McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham, N.C.
WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
 
N.C. Central Volleyball
 
The Lady Eagles picked up their first two wins of the season last weekend against a pair off MEAC rivals. NCCU (2-13 Overall, 2-1 MEAC) swept South Carolina State on Saturday and then knocked off Savannah State in four sets on Sunday.
 
Junior libero Bree Simmons is the reigning MEAC Defensive Specialist of the Week. Simmons ranks fifth in the league with 3.71 digs per set.
 
Entering the weekend, three Lady Eagles continue to average over two points per set in freshman Da'Nesha Miller, junior Kierra Shipman and junior Whitney White. NCCU has four other players in freshman Christine Alcox, junior Jazmine Daye, junior Erika Ianovale and freshman McKayla Young all supplying over one point per set.
 
Other team leaders for NCCU include Miller (2.46 points/set, 2.07 kills/set, 0.15 aces/set), White (.287 hitting percentage), Daye (0.82 blocks/set) and senior setter Paige Phillips (7.56 assists/set).
 
Since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 2007, NCCU is 1-13 against Florida A&M and 6-12 versus Bethune-Cookman. The Lady Eagles are a dominating 14-1 against Savannah State and have won the last seven straight tilts.
 
Florida A&M Volleyball
 
The Rattlers have won three of their last five matches. However, Florida A&M (5-10 Overall, 2-1 MEAC) suffered its first MEAC loss in straight sets to Bethune-Cookman in its last match last Friday.
 
A pair of sophomores that were All-MEAC honorees as freshman last year lead the Rattlers attack. Co-MEAC Rookie of the Year and Second Team selection Nicole Abreu leads FAMU with 3.50 kills per set while also averaging 3.63 digs per set. First Team honoree Maria Yvette Garcia follows with 3.23 kills and 2.42 digs per set. They both rank in the top-five of the MEAC in kills per set.
 
Junior libero Valentina Carrasco also earned Second Team All-MEAC attention last season and she leads the conference with 4.82 digs per set. Freshman middle blocker Candelaria Herrera supplies 2.32 kills per set, a team-high 0.85 blocks per set and she is second in the MEAC with a .313 hitting percentage. Sophomore Elena Dimitrova is FAMU's primary setter and she is averaging 8.70 assists per set.
 
Bethune-Cookman Volleyball
 
The Wildcats have won four of their last five matches, including a sweep of Florida A&M to stay undefeated in the MEAC and a 3-1 triumph over University of North Florida on Tuesday. Bethune-Cookman (6-8 Overall, 3-0 MEAC) hosts North Carolina A&T on Friday before entertaining the Lady Eagles on Sunday.
 
Freshman Jordan Jefferson has immediately become a big impact player for the Wildcats. Jefferson is blasting 3.23 kills per set, good for sixth most in the MEAC, and scooping up 3.34 digs per set, which is the 10th best total in the league.
  
Sophomore Alana Handy is a reigning Co-MEAC Rookie of the Year and he supplies 2.62 kills per set. Senior Rakaya Neely joined Handy as a Second Team All-MEAC honoree last year and she supplies 2.24 kills per set, 1.09 blocks per set (second in the MEAC) and a .333 hitting percentage (first in the MEAC).
 
Senior setter Phalen Clark leads the MEAC with 10.35 assists per set while also chipping in 3.19 digs per set. Classmate Rechez Lindsay tops the squad with 3.64 digs per set.
 
Savannah State Volleyball
 
After winning two of their first three matches, the Lady Tigers has lost 17 straight showdowns including their last two matches in four sets to NCCU on Sunday and Georgia Southern on Tuesday. Savannah State (2-18 Overall, 0-4 MEAC) hosts South Carolina State on Friday before hosting the Lady Eagles on Monday.
 
The Lady Tigers use a balanced attack with eight players averaging between 1.0 and 1.5 kills per set. Junior Jennifer Rosado tops the group with 1.47 kills per set. Freshman Tyran Chenault, who supplies 1.37 kills per set, leads Savannah State with 0.82 blocks per set. Fellow freshman Leiri Melendez is producing a team-high 3.05 digs per set.
 
Senior Alee Quint (4.09 assists/set) and freshman Salma Gonzalez (2.88 assists/set) have been splitting the setting duties as the only two Lady Tigers to have played in all 68 of SSU's sets so far this season.