DURHAM, N.C. — Fourth-year head coach Jody Brown continues a youth movement for an optimistic North Carolina Central University volleyball team that will begin play for its upcoming 2019 season on Friday, Aug. 30 after hosting its annual Maroon-Gray Scrimmage on Tuesday, Aug. 27.
 
NCCU's roster will showcase a young and talented group with 10 of its 16 players being either freshmen or sophomores. The Lady Eagles may be young, but they do have a lot of collegiate experience to make some noise in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). NCCU has 12 returnees and two transfers for a total of 14 student-athletes that have competed at the intercollegiate level.
 
Senior outside hitter Kennedy White is NCCU's lone four-year letter winner and will serve as team captain for the Lady Eagles. The Debra Saunders-White Leadership Award winner and NCCU Volleyball Players Choice honoree has played in 55 matches over her first three seasons in a maroon and gray uniform.
 
Fellow outside hitter Jessica Pilivi will be the only other senior on the NCCU volleyball roster. In her first season with the Lady Eagles, Pilivi played in 24 matches and averaged over two digs per set and nearly one point per set.
 
The youth movement was solidified last season when rookies Arlanda Faulkner and Morgan Goodwin were selected to the MEAC All-Rookie Team. Faulkner plays on the outside of the front row and led NCCU in her first season with 2.36 kills and 0.27 aces per set. Goodwin became a good scoring option from the middle blocker position with averages of 2.02 kills and 0.94 blocks per set.
 
Goodwin and setter Celene Morris, another rookie last season, are NCCU's two returnees that played in every match last season. Morris became a versatile player with averages of 3.65 assists and 2.49 digs per set, which were both second best averages on the team.
 
Junior outside hitter Christine Alcox matches White as a leadership and player's choice award winner and will join Faulkner as a primary pin hitter. Alcox has averaged over two points and one dig per set over the course of her first two seasons at NCCU.
 
The depth of NCCU's attack is its strongest it has been since Brown took over leading the Lady Eagles. Junior middle blocker McKayla Young, sophomore outside hitter Ammaarah Williams, sophomore right side Estfania Louis and sophomore outside hitter Hana Lee are four more veterans that will be competing for playing time on the front line to go along with sophomore outside hitter transfer Jasmine Sanders and freshman middle blocker Elana Fuller.
 
NC Central returns its two primary setters from last season, which shall help the offensive chemistry. Sophomore Isis Mitchell led the Lady Eagles with 7.91 assists per set and was joined by Morris at the setter position.
 
A couple of newcomers will be expected to fill the void left by two defensive specialists that graduated last academic year. Freshman Alyssa Pieh and junior transfer Yomaries Villegas-Miranda are the leading candidates to wear the libero jersey. Junior Braxton Wright is NCCU's lone letter winning defensive specialist.
 
NCCU has finished fourth in the Southern Division each of the last three seasons to qualify for the MEAC Championship Tournament each time. The Lady Eagles were picked to finish fourth out of five teams in the division in the 2019 preseason coaches' poll.
 
Fans of the maroon and gray can follow NCCU volleyball all season on NCCUEaglePride.com.