DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team begins Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division play when the Lady Eagles host rival North Carolina A&T State University in a "Maroon Out" battle on Thursday at 6 p.m.
All volleyball matches inside McDougald-McLendon Arena are
FREE.
NCCU will be providing
FREE live video, audio and stats for those that cannot attend the match.
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
6 PM – North Carolina A&T at N.C. Central
McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham, N.C.
WATCH |
LISTEN |
STATS
Promotion
The first 100 fans will receive an NCCU volleyball t-shirt (lower level only) as Thursday's Maroon Out is being presented by G. Alan Incorporated.
NCCU continues its Hurricane Relief Drive and asks fans to consider donating items at the match that will be sent as relief for those affected in the aftermath of the recent storms. A collection bin will be set up in the hallway at the match. For more details, please visit NCCUEaglePride.com.
A raffle for an NCCU Athletics prize pack – which will include tickets to an upcoming football game, Pelican Bucks and more – will take place.
N.C. Central Volleyball
The Lady Eagles return to the court after a nine-day break when they last lost in straight sets to host East Carolina University on Tuesday, Sept. 18. NCCU (0-11 Overall, 0-0 MEAC) was picked to finish fourth in the Southern Division in the MEAC Preseason Poll, the same position the Lady Eagles placed last year.
NCCU has a couple specialists that rank in the top-five of the MEAC in their respective position. Junior libero
Bree Simmons sits fourth with 3.86 digs per set. Senior setter
Paige Phillips is positioned fifth with 7.22 assists per set.
Offensively, freshman
Da'Nesha Miller and junior
Whitney White both average over two points per set to pace the Lady Eagles. Miller is contributing a team-high 1.95 kills per set while White ranks ninth in the MEAC with a .251 hitting percentage. Five other NCCU front-row players average over one point per set in junior
Kierra Shipman, junior Jasmine Daye, freshman
Christine Alcox, junior
Erika Ianovale and freshman
McKayla Young.
The Lady Eagles and Aggies played a pair of five-set affairs last season with the road team winning each time. The rivals have split the season series each of the last three seasons. NCCU is 15-6 against North Carolina A&T since joining the DI ranks in 2007.
North Carolina A&T Volleyball
The Aggies last played three teams from the MEAC Northern Division in the North-South Challenge in Norfolk, Virginia, and went 2-1 with wins against University of Maryland Eastern Shore and host Norfolk State University and a loss against Hampton University. North Carolina A&T (7-9 Overall, 0-0 MEAC) was voted third in the Southern Division of the 2017 MEAC Preseason Poll, which was the squad's position in the league standings last year.
Senior Samara Brown was a First Team All-MEAC performer last year. She is averaging 1.86 kills and 2.07 digs per set in her final season. Classmate Jasmine Lindor, who is averaging 1.49 kills per set, is supplying 0.91 blocks per set (4th in the MEAC) and a .266 hitting percentage (6th in the MEAC).
A pair of sisters lead NCAT's attack. Senior Alyssa Pitt tops the team with 2.19 kills per set and freshman Courteney Pitt adds 2.02 kills per set.
Freshman Edie Brewer has taking over the setting duties for the Aggies and she ranks second in the MEAC with 0.53 service aces per set and eighth in the conference with 5.91 assists per set.
