GREENSBORO, N.C. — Freshman middle blocker Morgan Goodwin garnered a season-high 15 kills for visiting North Carolina Central University in a 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) loss to North Carolina A&T State University on Friday evening.
 
The Aggies remained in first place in the MEAC Southern Division with the 21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20 victory. NCAT leveled its overall record to 9-9 while moving to 4-1 in the division at the midway point of league play.
 
NC Central (4-14, 2-3) next hosts Elon University on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in its last non-conference match of the season.
 
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Goodwin successfully scored over her attempts on the attack en route to her season-best 15 kills. She only committed one error on 27 swings for a .519 hitting percentage. Goodwin also had one solo block and two block assists for a match-high 17 points.
 
Senior White White added 10 kills as the two starting middle blockers accounted for 25 of NCCU's 38 total kills. White also matched Goodwin with one solo block and two block assists
 
Freshman setter Celene Morris chipped in 30 assists as NCCU hit .222 for the match and senior libero Erika Ianovale was credited with 10 digs.
 
NORTH CAROLINA A&T HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
A trio of Aggies reached double-digit kills with sophomore Eddie Brewer leading all players with 16 spikes while still serving as the primary setter with 33 assists. Classmate Courteney Pitt followed with 13 kills and junior Makaylah Elliott finished with 10 kills.
 
Freshman Andrea Laboy-Rivera accumulated a match-high 17 digs and served up three aces.
 
SET-BY-SET:
 
1ST: Sophomore Christine Alcox provided five of her six total kills in the opener in helping the Lady Eagles take the early edge. NCCU was trailing 20-18 before closing out the first set on a 7-1 run that included three kills by Goodwin.
 
2ND: The two rivals were in another tight affair that featured 14 ties, including as late at 19-all. However, it was the Aggies with the late surge this time. NCAT closed on a 6-1 run to even the score. Pitt had six kills in the game.
 
3RD: After the score was knotted nine more times, the hosts were once again able to clip the Lady Eagles down the stretch to take their first lead of the match. A kill by sophomore Kennedy White still had NCCU within two at 22-20, but the service game gave NCAT a couple late points behind an ace and an Eagle service error.
 
4TH: After close play in the early stages, the Aggies were able to take control of the final set with a 10-3 run that doubled up the score at 20-10. NCCU was able to trim the deficit from 10 to four, before NCAT was able to hang on for the win.