EMERSON, Ga. — A quartet of North Carolina Central University players tallied over 10 points as a well-balanced performance catapulted the Lady Eagles to a 3-2 seesaw win over Jackson State University in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge Saturday afternoon at the LakePoint Champions Center.
 
NCCU rallied from an 11-8 deficit in the final set with a closing 7-2 run to secure the 16-25, 25-11, 25-19, 20-25, 15-13 win. The Lady Eagles improved to 1-2 overall and will next play in the Elon University Phoenix Classic on Friday-Saturday, Aug. 31-Sept. 1 before hosting East Carolina University on Sunday, Sept. 2 in its home opener.
 
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
The Lady Eagles had their best hitting match of the tournament, firing on offense with a .127 hitting percentage. Freshman outside hitter Arlanda Faulkner came off the bench to provide 13 kills and three block assists for a team-high 14.5 points.
 
Senior middle blocker Whitney White, junior outside hitter Jessica Pilivi and freshman middle blocker Morgan Goodwin all chipped in seven kills. They all joined Faulkner with double-digit points as Goodwin made seven blocks (three solo, four assists), White followed with six blocks (one solo, five assists) and Pilivi added two block assists and two aces.
 
Freshman setter Isis Mitchell posted 30 assists and senior libero Erika Ianovale supplied a match-high 25 digs. Freshman defensive specialist Celene Morris registered 12 digs and a match-high three aces. Pilivi had 11 digs.
 
JACKSON STATE HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Junior Tielar Richards led all players with 20 kills while sophomore Alexandria Burney and freshman Camry Dabney also reached double figures with 13 and 10 spikes, respectively. Burney completed a double-double with a team-best 18 digs.
 
SET-BY-SET:
 
1ST: NCCU's offense started slowly, committing more errors than kills in the frame, while Jackson State scored 15 of its 25 points with kills. The Tigers won by nine, with freshman Kanile'a Nomura pounded down four of her seven kills in the opener to pace the set victors.
 
2ND: The Lady Eagles made a statement in the second set by jumping out 16-3, which featured a 5-0 run on Pilivi's service rotation and an ensuing 8-0 run on Mitchell's serve. White totaled four kills and Goodwin was part of four blocks in the 14-point victory.
 
3RD: The middle period was the first set to see any lead changes. NCCU was clinging to a 14-11 edge when a couple aces by Morris helped the Eagles gain a little wiggle room before Goodwin ended the six-point win with a kill.
 
4TH: JSU won the first three points and never trailed to tie the match. The Lady Eagles pulled within one at 20-19, but four kills off the arms of four different Tigers clinched the five-point win.
 
5TH: NCCU found itself down three points a few times in the race to 15. The two teams changed sides with the Lady Eagles trailing 8-5. NCCU won the next three points to level the score. However, Jackson State regained its three-point edge by winning the next three serves. NCCU responded again with its closing 7-2 clinching run. Mitchell put the Lady Eagles ahead for good, 13-12, with a dump-over kill on their second touch, White and Pilivi set-up match point with a block before White sealed the triumph with a kill from the right corner down the edge of the net. NCCU hit .300 in the decisive set while Ianovale and Morris kept giving the Lady Eagles chances with 11 combined digs in the shortened frame.