DURHAM, N.C. – Junior outside hitter Kierra Shipman blasted a career-high 14 kills on her way to her first collegiate double-double for host North Carolina Central University in a 3-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference volleyball loss to visiting North Carolina A&T State University Thursday evening in McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
The Aggies rallied from a 2-1 deficit to pull off the narrow victory by a final score of 25-16, 18-25, 22-25, 25-22, 15-10. The two rivals have played three consecutive five-set affairs, with the road team winning each time. North Carolina A&T (8-9 Overall, 1-0 MEAC) begins Southern Division play in the win column while NCCU (0-12, 0-1) suffered its second five-set loss of the season.
 
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Shipman tallied a .229 hitting percentage on her way to 14 kills. She added 10 digs and two solo blocks as she completed her first double-double.
 
Freshman Christine Alcox matched Shipman with a season-high 14 kills on a team-high 39 attempts.
 
NCCU had a .167 hitting percentage while holding NCAT to a .112 mark with freshman Da'Nesha Miller supplying nine kills and junior Whitney White smashing eight kills on 20 attempts with just one error to fire at a .350 clip.
 
Senior setter Paige Phillips provided her third double-double of her final season with 39 assists and 15 digs. Miller led all players with 18 digs and junior libero Bree Simmons just missed her own double-double with 10 digs and nine assists. Alcox and junior Jazmine Daye each chipped in two blocks.
 
NORTH CAROLINA A&T HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
The Aggies served up a whopping 15 aces, including four apiece by seniors Samara Brown and Jasmine Lindor. Brown, a 2016 First Team All-MEAC performer, also led North Carolina A&T with a double-double of 14 kills and 10 digs.
 
Freshman Courteney Pitt notched 13 kills. Freshman setter Edie Brewer totaled nine kills, 31 assists and eight digs.
 
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: NCCU had its worst hitting set (.034) and the Aggies never trailed in the most lopsided game.
 
2ND: North Carolina A&T jumped out 12-7 before the Lady Eagles flew ahead 18-12 with 11 consecutive points. The rally featured three kills by Shipman and NCCU leveled the score with the seven-point win.
 
3RD: The maroon and gray doubled up the Aggies, 12-6, after a solo block by Alcox. NCCU never relinquished the lead from that point to take the lead in the match.
 
4TH: The visitors held a slim edge throughout most of the set, but a Shipman kill deadlocked the score for a fourth and final time at 21-all. However, Pitt provided a kill and an ace on consecutive plays to push North Carolina A&T ahead before a pair of kills by Brown forced a decisive fifth set.
 
5TH: Three kills by Brown and two more by Pitt helped the Aggies construct a 10-6 advantage in the race to 15 points. NCAT's 15th ace thwarted any attempt of a comeback by the Lady Eagles late.
 
UP NEXT:
NCCU continues a season-long, four-match home stand by hosting non-conference Elon University on Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m.