DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University volleyball team was four points away from leveling the match in the fourth set before visiting Elon University finished off the match with a 5-1 run to escape McDougald-McLendon Arena with a narrow 3-1 non-conference victory Wednesday evening.
 
The Phoenix jumped out to a two set advantage before NCCU rallied to win the third set and then gain its late 21-20 lead in the fourth set. However, Elon won five of the next six serves to improve its record to 10-11 on the season with the 25-22, 25-15, 20-25, 25-22 triumph.
 
NC Central (3-18) continues its homestand and returns to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play when the Lady Eagles host Delaware State University on Friday at 6 p.m.
 
NC CENTRAL HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Sophomore Ammaarah Williams filled up the box score for the Lady Eagles with four kills (.250 hitting percentage), eight blocks (one solo, seven assists) and two aces for a team-high 10.5 points.
 
Sophomore setter Celene Morris netted her ninth double-double with 29 assists and 12 digs.
 
Junior Christine Alcox once again topped NCCU's hitters with nine kills. A trio of Lady Eagles finished with seven spikes, including junior McKayla Young and sophomores Estfania Louis and Arlanda Faulkner.
 
Junior libero Yomaries Villegas led four maroon and gray players in double-digit digs with 16. Freshman Alyssa Pieh each scooped up 14 digs while sophomore Isis Mitchell matched Morris with 12 digs. Mitchell also had a match-high three aces.
 
ELON HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Freshman libero Jordan Gower was making numerous defensive saves for the Phoenix to finish with a match-high 24 digs.
 
Offensively, freshman Jenn Krzeminski blasted 11 kills while sophomores Haylie Clark and Leah Daniel each produced nine kills. Clark also contributed 38 assists and three aces.
 
1ST SET: Daniel had six kills in the opener to lead Elon to a close wire-to-wire win. The Phoenix quickly doubled up NCCU, 14-7, before the Lady Eagles rallied late to pull within one at 23-21. However, Daniel supplied her fifth and sixth kills of the set to keep the visitors ahead at the end.
 
2ND SET: The Phoenix once again led from the start and NCCU was never able to rally this time as Elon hit .282 in the period.
 
3RD SET: The Lady Eagles responded by controlling the third set in which they never trailed. Alcox logged five kills in the five-point set win and Williams and Morris made a double block on set point to extend the match.
 
4TH SET: NCCU kept the pressure on and jumped out to 7-3 and 13-9 leads. Elon used 4-0 runs both times to square the set. That trend continued all the way to the final time where a kill by Young gave the Lady Eagles their last lead at 21-20. The Phoenix leveled the score for a sixth time with a kill that started the closing 5-1 run. Senior Nori Thomas, who had six kills, finished off the match with consecutive kills.