DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team will host East Carolina University in its last non-conference match on Halloween and will then have a chance to clinch a spot in the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Championship with a victory in a road match at South Carolina State University on Thursday.  
 
NCCU will be providing FREE live video, audio and stats for the ECU match and fans can listen to the SCSU road match on the NCCU Sports Network. 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


Tuesday, October 31 - 6 PM
East Carolina at N.C. Central
McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham, N.C.
WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
 
Thursday, November 2 - 6 PM
N.C. Central at South Carolina State
Dukes Gymnasium, Orangeburg, S.C.
LISTEN | STATS
 
PROMOTION


The NCCU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) will be presenting Fright Night on Tuesday. Fans are encouraged to wear costumes to the free match and cheer on the Lady Eagles against the Pirates. There will be activities, costume contest, giveaways, candy, prizes and more for those in attendance.
 
N.C. Central Volleyball
 
The Lady Eagles are coming off a 3-0 road MEAC loss at North Carolina A&T on Friday. NCCU (3-16 Overall, 3-4 MEAC) can finish with a .500 record in the month of October with a win against ECU on Tuesday. A victory on Thursday in Orangeburg, South Carolina, would clinch a playoff berth for the Lady Eagles for a second straight season.
 
Freshman Da'Nesha Miller leads the squad with 2.11 kills per set. Five other NCCU front row players also average over one kill per set in junior Whitney White (1.91), freshman Christine Alcox (1.80), junior Kierra Shipman (1.66) junior Jazmine Daye (1.40) and junior Erika Ianovale (1.08).
 
NCCU's primary specialists have been consistent everyday players for the maroon and gray. Senior setter Paige Phillips ranks fifth in the MEAC with 7.63 assists per set while junior libero Bree Simmons sits seventh in the league with 3.52 digs per set.
 
In a 25-15, 25-15, 25-9 road loss to ECU in Greenville, North Carolina, on Sept. 19, NCCU was held to a negative hitting percentage. Simmons highlighted play for the Lady Eagles with 13 digs in that match.
 
NCCU knocked off SCSU at home in straight set scores of 25-17, 25-22, 25-15 on Oct. 6. Phillips notched 28 assists as the Lady Eagles hit .235. White led the victors with 11 points (nine kills, three blocks). Daye and Miller followed with eight kills apiece.
 
East Carolina Volleyball
 
The Pirates have lost their last three matches – all to fellow American Conference members to University of Central Florida, Wichita State University and University of Memphis. East Carolina (15-9 Overall, 7-5 Conf.) does boast an 8-4 record in non-conference play.
 
Senior outside hitter Lael Ceriani leads East Carolina with 3.17 kills per set. Freshman Bri Wood (2.74 kills/set) and senior Natalie Montini (2.53 kills/set) supply over 2.5 kills per set and all three of the Pirates top attackers have hitting percentages over .200.
 
Sophomore Toya Osuegbu is making 1.06 blocks per set and Montini tallies 0.98 blocks per set.
 
A rookie in Shelby Martin has taking over the primary setting duties for the Pirates and she registering 9.52 assists per set. Sophomore libero Brandee Markwith is in her second season at ECU's libero and she is scooping up 5.31 digs per set.
 
East Carolina is 6-0 against NCCU since the Lady Eagles joined the NCAA Division I ranks in 2007. In the first meeting this season, Ceriani led all players with 16 kills in the straight-set triumph. Martin totaled 37 assists as the Pirates hit .312. Markwith chipped in match-high marks of 19 digs and four aces.
 
South Carolina State Volleyball
 
The Lady Bulldogs lost their last 10 straight matches, including their last two matches on the road to MEAC Southern Division foes Florida A&M University and Bethune-Cookman University last weekend. South Carolina State (1-22 Overall, 0-7 MEAC) visits Presbyterian College on Tuesday before hosting the Lady Eagles on Thursday. SCSU needs to win its last three league matches to have any chance at qualifying for postseason play.
 
Freshman outside hitter Alexus Holt has taken over as SCSU's top attacker averaging over three kills per set. Junior Brianna Dafney, who was the Lady Bulldogs go-to performer last year, has more help this year and is still averaging 2.3 kills per set.
 
Another freshman in Jenai King has taken over the setter position and is averaging nearly seven assists per set. Senior Marcella Chestnut is SCSU's top defender with 2.53 digs per set.
 
Dafney and Holt had 10 and eight kills, respectively, in the Lady Bulldogs' loss in Durham four weeks ago. King finished with 22 assists and Chestnut notched 12 digs.