DURHAM, N.C. — Sophomore setter Celene Morris registered her 14th double-double for host North Carolina Central University in a 3-1 non-conference loss to East Carolina University Tuesday evening in McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
The Pirates were once again unable sweep the Lady Eagles, losing the third set in both meetings. However, ECU (16-8 Overall) did take the fourth set to complete the season series sweep with the 25-16, 27-25, 23-25, 25-20 win.
 
NC Central (6-21) returns to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play on Friday when the Lady Eagles host archrival North Carolina A&T State University at 6 p.m.
 
NC CENTRAL HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
A trio of Lady Eagles reached double-digit kills. Junior Christine Alcox paced NCCU with 16 kills. Sophomore Arlanda Faulkner followed with 13 kills while classmate Ammaarah Williams match her season-high total with 11 kills. Williams also topped the maroon and gray with three block assists.
 
Morris completed her 14th double-double with a match-high totals of 35 assists and 18 digs.
 
Junior libero Yomaries Villegas just missed her first double-double with 16 digs and nine assists. Sophomore Isis Mitchell matched Villegas with 16 digs. Villegas and Mitchell both had two aces.
 
EAST CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Junior Sydney Kleinman led all players with 22 kills. Kleinman turned half of her 44 attempts into kills with just five errors for a .386 hitting percentage. Junior Bri Wood connected for an impressive double-double of 19 kills and 18 digs.
 
SET-BY-SET:
 
1ST SET: ECU doubled up NCCU, 12-6, down the stretch of the first set to win by nine. The Pirates hit .414 in the opener.
 
2ND SET: The Lady Eagles served for set point at 24-23, but a kill by Wood leveled the scoreboard. After trading the next two points, Wood ripped two more kills to give the Pirates the extended-set victory.
 
3RD SET: NCCU hit .324 in the third set to extend the match. East Carolina held a late 22-21 before the Lady Eagles won four of the next five serves to win by two points. Alcox broke a 23-all tie with her sixth kill of the set before an ECU error gave NC Central its 25th point.
 
4TH SET: The hosts held a 16-13 edge past the midway point of the fourth set before the Pirates used a 10-1 run to take control. Kleinman had four kills in the decisive stretch before East Carolina settled for the five-point win.