ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The junior middle blocker duo of Whitney White and Jazmine Daye combined for 28 points in leading the North Carolina Central University volleyball team to a 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) victory over host South Carolina State University on Thursday evening in Dukes Gymnasium.
 
The Lady Eagles secured a playoff position in the MEAC Volleyball Championships for a second straight season with the 14-25, 25-18, 25-20, 25-22 triumph. NCCU (4-17 Overall, 4-4 MEAC) also completed the season series sweep of the Lady Bulldogs. S.C. State (1-24, 0-8) has lost 13 consecutive matches.
 
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
White blasted a season-high 16 kills and hit .310 to pace the victors. White added two block assists in her 17-point performance. Daye tallied eight kills and notched four blocks (two solo, two assists) to finish with 11 points.
 
The Lady Eagles hit .252 with senior setter Paige Phillips totaling 36 assists. She was one dig shy of a double-double with nine digs. NCCU's attack also featured seven kills by junior Erika Ianovale and six apiece by freshmen Da'Nesha Miller and Christine Alcox. Ianovale served up two of the squads' five aces. Junior libero Bree Simmons matched Phillips with nine digs.
 
SCSU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Freshman Alexus Holt led all players with 19 kills. The Lady Bulldogs had two other players with double digit kills as senior Ashante Finnie and freshman Erin Hundley suppling 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
 
Freshman setter Jenai King posted a double-double of 44 assists and 11 digs. Senior libero Marcella Chestnut topped South Carolina State's defense with 18 digs.
 
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: SCSU led from the onset. The Lady Bulldogs won the first five points and pulled out to a quick 9-2 advantage. The hosts hit a sizzling .433 in the opener to take the early lead with the 11-point win.
 
2ND: The Lady Eagles leveled the score by having their best hitting set at .318 while cooling off South Carolina State to a zero hitting percentage. NCCU was clinging to a 12-10 edge before going on an 8-2 run to pull away and win by seven. Daye had three kills and two blocks for a second straight set.
 
3RD: After five early ties, NCCU broke the final one at 7-7 with a 10-2 surge to take over. The decisive series of five consecutive points on Simmons service rotation, capped by an ace, highlighted the frame as the Lady Eagles won by that five-point margin.
 
4TH: Ianovale pounded down the first of her four kills in the set on the opening play and NCCU never looked back. White edged Ianovale with five kills in the game. NCCU led by as many as eight on two occasions, but a late 7-2 run by the Lady Bulldogs closed the gap to two points before White ended play with her 16th kill on NCCU's fourth chance at match point.
 
UP NEXT:
NCCU concludes its regular season with home matches against Florida A&M University (Friday, Nov. 10, 6 PM) and Bethune-Cookman University (Sunday, Nov. 12, 12 PM). The home finale against the Wildcats will be Senior Day for Phillips.