DURHAM, N.C. – Junior
Whitney White led a balanced North Carolina Central University attack that hit a season-best .235 as the Lady Eagles knocked off Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division rival South Carolina State University, 3-0, on Friday evening in McDougald-McLendon Arena.
White's team-high nine kills was one better than the eight spikes by both junior
Jazmine Daye and freshman
Da'Nesha Miller as NCCU (1-13 Overall, 1-1 MEAC) final got in the win column with the 25-17, 25-22, 25-15 conquest of the Lady Bulldogs. SCSU (1-17 Overall, 0-3 MEAC) remained winless in the league.
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Senior setter
Paige Phillips orchestrated the hot-hitting Lady Eagles offense with 28 assists. She also launched two of NCCU's four aces.
White notched her team-high nine kills on 20 swings with just two errors for a .350 hitting percentage. She matched Daye with one solo block and two block assists as both middle blockers finished with double-digit point performances. Freshman
Christine Alcox was a fourth Lady Eagle to hit over .250 as she chipped in six kills.
Junior libero
Bree Simmons led NCCU's defensive efforts with 12 digs. Junior
Erika Ianovale followed with eight digs.
SCSU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Junior Brianna Dafney led all players with 10 kills. She also served up two aces.
Freshman Alexus Holt provided eight kills, freshman setter Jenai King totaled 22 assists and senior libero Marcella Chestnut logged 12 digs.
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: NCCU broke a 7-7 tie with an 11-3 run to pull away. Miller ripped half of her eight kills and Daye made two blocks as the Lady Eagles coasted to the eight-point win.
2ND: The maroon and gray scored the first three points on kills by Daye, Miller and Ianovale and never trailed. NCCU's advantage grew to as many as seven at 17-10 before the Lady Bulldogs rallied to within two at 23-21. However, a couple SCSU errors and eventually an overpass kill by Daye finished off the three-point triumph. The Lady Eagles scored 15 of their 25 points on kills and hit .357 in the closest game.
3RD: NCCU once again never trailed. The hosts quickly grabbed a double-digit edge at 15-5, which was capped by two consecutive kills off the arm of Alcox. South Carolina State closed the deficit in half at 20-15, but the Lady Eagles flew away with the next five points. White had a kill and a block in the final flurry.
UP NEXT:
NCCU hosts Savannah State University on Sunday at 1 p.m.
