DURHAM, N.C. — Jessica Pilivi was one dig shy of her season-best performance with a dozen digs on her Senior Night as host North Carolina Central University suffered a narrow 3-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) loss to Florida A&M University Friday night inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
Pilivi and Kennedy White (injured) were recognized by the NCCU volleyball coaching staff and athletic administration before Friday's match.
 
The Rattlers had to overcome late 11-8 and 13-11 deficits in the fifth to eventually win the extended final set and prevail by a score of 25-16, 23-25, 25-20, 20-25, 16-14. Florida A&M (10-19 Overall, 7-6 MEAC) moved ahead of NCCU in the MEAC standings, but is ineligible for postseason play due to NCAA infractions.  
 
NC Central (7-23, 6-7) will next host Bethune-Cookman University in its home finale Sunday at 1 p.m. The winner of that match will clinch the Southern Division No. 2 seed heading into the MEAC Championships next week.
 
NC CENTRAL HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
A quartet of Lady Eagles reached double-digit kills, led by 14 kills from sophomore Arlanda Faulkner. Junior McKayla Young and sophomores Ammaarah Williams and Estfania Louis all netted 10 kills.
 
Sophomore setter Celene Morris logged her 15th double-double with 43 assists and 13 digs.
 
Junior libero Yomaries Villegas posted a team-high 19 digs. NCCU totaled 88 digs with sophomore Isis Mitchell (14 digs) and freshman Alyssa Pieh joining Pilivi, Villegas and Morris with double-figure digs.
 
Young was part of eight of NCCU's 10 blocks (one solo, seven assists) to finish with 14.5 points. Williams and Pieh each served up three aces.
 
FLORIDA A&M HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Junior Alexis Gosha had a big double-double for the Rattlers with a match-high 19 kills and 22 digs. Senior Maria Yvett Garcia added 16 kills.
 
SET-BY-SET:
 
1ST: Florida A&M had its best attacking set in the opener, finishing with a.375 hitting percentage in the game to post the lopsided win of the match.
 
2ND: NCCU leveled the score in a tight second set. The Lady Eagles were one point away from taking the set at 24-21 before the Rattlers made it interesting late with two consecutive points. However, a kill by junior Christine Alcox just after Pieh kept the play alive with a highlight diving dig secured the two-point win.
 
3RD: A kill by Young had NCCU up 14-13 just past the midway point before Florida A&M went on a 7-2 run to go up 20-15. The visitors would win the set by the same margin to regain the set lead.
 
4TH: The Lady Eagles looked poised to once again level the score by quickly doubling up the Rattlers, 12-6. Young had two kills and two blocks in that run. However, Florida A&M rallied to knot the score at 16-all. Morris answered for NCCU with a kill on what seemed to be a broken play and Williams launched an ensuing ace. That started a 9-4 closing run for the maroon and gray, forcing a fifth set.
 
5TH: NCCU trailed 8-6 as the two teams switched sides of the court, but the Lady Eagles ripped five consecutive kills to pull ahead 11-8. Williams and Faulkner each had two kills during the surge before Louis capped it her own kill. The Rattlers quickly caught back up out of a timeout, but two more kills off the arms off Faulkner and Louis had NCCU within two points of winning the match at 13-11. FAMU battles back again with three straight points before the third kill of the set by Louis keeps NCCU's hopes alive by tying the score 14-14. But two hitting errors by the Lady Eagles handed the match to the Rattlers.