GREENVILLE, N.C. — Sophomore outside hitter Jasmine Sanders posted a new season-high total in kills for a second straight match to pace the North Carolina Central University volleyball team in a 3-1 non-conference road loss at East Carolina University on Tuesday evening.
 
The Pirates held off the Lady Eagles by a score of 25-17, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17 for their fifth straight victory. ECU improved to 9-1 on the season.
 
NC Central (0-12) returns home to host The Citadel next Tuesday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m.
 
NC CENTRAL HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Sanders blasted her season-best 16 kills on 38 attempts with just seven errors for a .237 hitting percentage. Sanders has reached double-digit kills in three consecutive matches.
 
Sophomore Arlanda Faulkner ripped 11 kills on the same number of chances. Sophomore setter Celene Morris logged her third double-double with 33 assists and 12 digs. Senior Jessica Pilivi and junior Yomaries Villegas also reached double figures in digs with 14 and 10, correspondingly.  Villegas also served up four aces for a second time this season.
 
EAST CAROLINA HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Juniors Sydney Kleinman and Bri Wood led the Pirates with 16 and 15 kills, respectively. Senior Toya Osuegbu had a hot hand for the victors with 10 kills on 12 chances for a .833 hitting percentage.
 
SET-BY-SET:
 
1ST: A couple early kills by both Faulkner and Sanders had NCCU within three at 11-8 before ECU scored six straight points to pull away for the eight-point win. The Pirates had their hottest hitting set at .458 to lead by as many as 10 points.
 
2ND: The Lady Eagles held early leads of 3-2 and 4-3 on a pair of kills by Faulkner, but East Carolina sailed ahead for good as Kleinman ripped four kills in a decisive 8-3 run. NCCU rallied and a kill by junior Christina Alcox finished off a 5-1 surge that pulled the visitors within one at 24-23, but a kill by Wood finished off the set in favor of the Pirates.
 
3RD: ECU was closing in on the potential sweep by constructing a 15-10 advantage. However, the Lady Eagles used an ensuing 7-1 run to fly into the lead, 17-16. The rally was capped by consecutive NCCU tandem blocks. The set remained close from that point, but a kill by Faulkner extended the match for the maroon and gray. Faulkner had four kills and was part of two blocks in NCCU's closing 15-8 run.
 
4TH: Alcox added another one of her seven kills on the nigh to provide the Lady Eagles with an early 7-5 edge and the fourth ace served up by Villegas kept NCCU within one at 10-9 before the Pirates built some cushion with five straight points. The Lady Eagles hit in the negative in the final set, diminishing any hope of another set comeback.