NORFOLK, Va. — Junior libero
Yomaries Villegas made a match-high 22 digs in helping lead the North Carolina Central University volleyball team to 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) road win at Norfolk State University Sunday afternoon.
The Lady Eagles bounced back after dropping the first set to earn the 23-25, 25-13, 25-19, 25-21 victory. NCCU (6-20 Overall) leveled its league ledger at 5-5. Norfolk State dipped to 1-18 and 1-8.
NC Central returns home for its final non-conference match of the season, hosting East Carolina University on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
NC CENTRAL HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Villegas logged 22 digs, which was just one dig shy of her season-best total in a match. NCCU made 74 total digs, including 10 by sophomore
Isis Mitchell and nine by both senior
Jessica Pilivi and freshman
Alyssa Pieh.
A trio of Lady Eagles reached double-digit kills with sophomore
Arlanda Faulkner notching a team-best 11 kills. Junior
McKayla Young and sophomore
Christine Alcox both supplied 10 kills.
Sophomore setter
Celene Morris filled up the box score with 38 assists, eight digs, three kills, two aces and one block assist.
NORFOLK STATE HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Senior Bojana Bolozan posted a match-high 15.5 points featuring 11 kills and seven blocks (two solo, five assists). Classmate Halley McKnight notched a double-double of 19 assists and 13 digs while adding three aces.
SET-BY-SET:
1ST SET: In a tight opening set, NCCU took a late 23-22 lead on a kill by Faulkner. However, Norfolk State scored the next three points to steal the set, including two consecutive kills by Bolozan.
2ND SET: The Lady Eagles used an 8-0 run on the service rotation of Morris to pull way to a 16-5 advantage before winning by a dozen points. Morris had one of her aces in that run.
3RD SET: The maroon and gray then hit a match-best .385 in the third set to take the lead. Faulkner and Alcox accounted for half of NCCU's 12 kills in the set with three apiece to win by six points.
4TH SET: NCCU was clinging to a late 20-18 lead before Young ripped a couple of kills to keep the Lady Eagles ahead before winning by four points.
