DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team played a much closer match than the first meeting, including 11 kills by sophomore Christine Alcox, but had to settle for another 3-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) loss to Florida A&M University in Friday's match at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
The Rattlers finished with a .274 team hitting percentage in the 25-20, 25-23, 25-18 victory. FAMU (12-11 Overall, 8-1 MEAC) remained in at least a share for first place in the Southern Division. NCCU (4-18, 4-5) dipped under .500 in league play heading into its Senior Day finale on Sunday.
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
The Lady Eagles made more digs than FAMU, with redshirt freshman Nahir Berrios Laguerre making a team-high 13 digs. Junior Erika Ianovale followed with 11 digs.
Alcox paced NCCU's attack with 11 kills on a team-high 28 swings. Juniors
Whitney White and
Jazmine Daye added seven and six kills, respectively. White also totaled four kills for a nine-point performance.
Senior setter
Paige Phillips chipped in 21 assists and seven digs.
FLORIDA A&M HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
A trio of Rattlers reached double-digit kills. Sophomore Nicole Abreu topped the group with 13 spikes while sophomore Maria Yvett Garcia and freshman Candelaria Herrera both produced 10 kills.
Herrera also participated in six of FAMU's nine blocks.
Senior setter Valeria Lopez tallied 34 assists and junior libero Valentina Carrasco paced all defenders with 16 digs.
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: The Rattlers scored the first four points and never trailed. FAMU hit .333 in the opening set to win by five. A trio of kills by White and Alcox kept the score close for the hosts.
2ND: The visitors once again never trailed in the middle frame despite a pair of ties. An ace by freshman Diamond Williams leveled the score early at 2-2 and a bad set by FAMU evened the scoreboard as late as 19-all. The Rattlers regained the lead, but an ace by sophomore
Kennedy White, her second of the match, inched NCCU to within one at 24-23. However, FAMU won the longest rally of the match on the next play with a kill by Garcia to slip past the Lady Eagles by two points.
3RD: FAMU finished off the match without ever trailing. The Rattlers once again won the first four serves and they had NCCU doubled up at 10-5, 12-6, 14-7 and 16-8. Florida A&M made four block in the period to hold the Lady Eagles to a negative hitting percentage to complete the sweep.
UP NEXT:
NCCU will host Bethune-Cookman University on Senior Day Sunday. Phillips will be recognized just before the start of the match that is slated to begin at Noon.
