DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team will play the second of three consecutive weekend tournaments when the Lady Eagles hit the court at Gardner-Webb University for the AmericInn Runnin' Bulldog Classic in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 1-2.
 
The Lady Eagles will open up play against host GWU on Friday at 11 a.m. and will then play a second match on the first day against Wofford College at 4 p.m. NCCU will conclude competition against USC Upstate on Saturday at Noon.
 
Fans can listen to all three matches on the NCCU Sports Network. Mike Wood will be on the air providing the play-by-play. Gardner-Webb will also provide live stats for all three contests. Fans can follow NCCU volleyball all season by visiting NCCUEaglePride.com and on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
N.C. Central Volleyball
 
NCCU (0-3 Overall) opened up its season with three losses in the Hampton Inn Holly Springs Invitational hosted by Campbell University last weekend. The Lady Eagles took The Citadel to four sets before losing to Tennessee Tech and the host Camels in straight sets.
 
A quartet of letter winners highlighted play for the maroon and gray in Buies Creek, North Carolina, one week ago.
 
Junior middle blocker Whitney White was named to the All-Tournament Team after hitting .286 in three matches. She also tallied 1.3 kills and 0.6 blocks per set. Classmate Kierra Shipman topped NCCU with 2.14 kills per set and was second on the team with 2.43 digs per set.
 
Senior setter Paige Phillips averaged 6.5 assists per set and junior libero Bree Simmons paced the Lady Eagles with 5.0 digs and 0.4 aces per set.
 
A total of eight newcomers made their NCCU debut. Freshman Da'Nesha Miller and junior transfer Erika Ianovale topped the pack offensively with 1.7 and 1.3 kills per set, respectively. Redshirt freshman twins Natasha Berrios Laguerre and Nahir Berrios Laguerre contributed on the defensive efforts by each averaging 2.0 digs per set.
 
Gardner-Webb Volleyball
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs went 1-2 to open the season at the JMU Classic. Gardner-Webb was swept by host James Madison University before getting in the win column with a 3-0 triumph over Rider University. GWU concluded the weekend with a tough 3-2 loss to Sacred Heart University.
 
Senior Kaelyn Dyson averaged 3.27 kills per set with a staggering .459 hitting percentage. Dyson, who led the Runnin' Bulldogs in blocks per set last season, is averaging 0.91 blocks per set early this year.
 
Freshman Joy Rhodes is quickly providing Gardner-Webb with additional firepower, averaging 2.45 kills and 0.55 aces per set in her collegiate debut tournament. Other team leaders include junior Kiera Moore with 1.36 blocks per set; junior setter Amanda Sahm with 8.73 assists per set; and sophomore Emma Milstead with 4.18 digs per set.
 
Gardner-Webb won a pair of 3-0 battles against NCCU last season and is 7-0 against the Lady Eagles since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 2007.
 
Wofford Volleyball
 
The Terriers maintain a .500 record of 2-2. Wofford went 1-2 in the Tennessee Classic last weekend, losing to George Washington (3-2) and Tennessee (3-0) before getting in the win column against Western Michigan (3-2). The Terriers then swept Winthrop University, 3-0, on the road Tuesday.
 
Reigning Southern Conference Freshman of the Year Catie Cronister has not showed any signs of a sophomore slump, averaging 4.12 kills, 2.0 digs and 0.5 aces per set. Junior Bijonae Jones (2.56 kills/set), sophomore Kara Shacklette (2.12 kills) and junior Colleen Reilly (1.81 kills) add depth to a strong attack.
 
Sophomore setter Lorissa King is supplying 9.75 assists per set. Junior Taylor Gill, a transfer from Ole Miss, has netted 5.0 digs per set.
 
Wofford is 3-0 against NCCU since the Lady Eagles joined the DI ranks in 2007, with the last two wins coming in 2014 at the NCCU Invitational (3-0) and Wake Forest Deacon Invitational (3-0).
 
USC Upstate Volleyball
 
The Spartans went 0-3 to start the season in the Hampton Inn and Suites Classic hosted by the College of Charleston. USC Upstate got closer to winning as the weekend progressed losing to Charleston (3-0), University of Denver (3-1) and Tennessee State University (3-2).
 
Junior setter Madison Haake is a reigning Atlantic Sun Second Team All-Conference honoree and she has started this season averaging 7.92 assists per set. She also provides 0.58 aces per set and 2.83 digs per set.
 
Sophomore Gloria Ikenegbu and Montana Swanson top the Spartans attack with 2.22 and 1.50 kills per set, correspondingly. Ikenegbu also leads USCU with 0.78 blocks per set. Senior libero Kaleigh Kelley chips in 4.83 digs per set.
 
USC Upstate is 4-0 against NCCU since the Lady Eagles joined the DI ranks in 2007, with the last win coming at the Charleston Southern Invitational in 2014 (3-0).