DURHAM, N.C. — The Lady Eagles had four players with 10-plus point performances as the North Carolina Central University volleyball team earned its first of the season with a 3-1 non-conference triumph over The Citadel Tuesday evening in McDougald-McLendon Arena.
NCCU (1-12) had its best defensive effort of the year with season-best totals of 66 digs and 12 blocks while also posting a season-high .279 hitting percentage to knock off the Bulldogs by set scores of 24-26, 25-15, 25-22 and 29-27.
NC Central will next begin Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play by hosting Southern Division rival South Carolina State University on Sunday at 1 p.m.
NC CENTRAL HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
The quartet of Lady Eagles in double-digit points included sophomore
Arlanda Faulkner (16 points), junior
Christine Alcox (15 points), sophomore
Jasmine Sanders (15 points) and sophomore
Ammaarah Williams (13 points). Junior
McKayla Young just missed being a fifth maroon and gray player to reach that total with nine points.
Sanders led NCCU with 15 kills. Faulkner flirted with a rare triple-double with 11 kills, nine digs and eight block assists. Williams, who ripped eight kills and hit .667, matched Faulkner with eight block assists as the duo teamed up for most of NCCU's dozen blocks. Alcox hit .400 on her way to 14 kills. Young finished with six kills and four blocks (two solo, two assists).
Sophomore setter
Celene Morris netted her fourth double-double with a match-high 41 assists and 14 digs. Junior libero
Yomaries Villegas led NCCU's defensive efforts with 16 digs. Freshman
Alyssa Pieh chipped in 11 digs and launched five service aces.
THE CITADEL HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
Junior Mellanie King paced the Bulldogs with 13 kills and 16 digs. The Citadel slipped to 4-7 on the season.
SET-BY-SET:
1ST: The Lady Eagles constructed a 23-19 advantage before the Bulldogs rallied with five straight points to start a 7-1 closing run on the service rotation of freshman Maddy Cardenas, who served up three of her match-high aces during that decisive closing rally.
2ND: NCCU leveled the score with a dominating set, hitting a sizzling .333. Williams led the attack with four kills and Morris provided 10 assists as the Lady Eagles won by 10.
3RD: The Citadel overcame an early 13-8 deficit with a 14-9 run to take a late 22-21 edge. However, the NC Central won the next four points to take the set. The final rally featured kills by Sanders and Williams followed by a senior
Jessica Pilivi ace and a tandem block by Williams and Faulkner on set point.
4TH: The Lady Eagles had to make their own late comeback in the fourth to complete the victory. The Bulldogs raced ahead 21-16 before NCCU executed an 8-1 surge to serve for match point at 24-22. The Citadel did not give up and were able to hold off three match point changes by the Lady Eagles. Alcox set up another NCCU match point and a hitting error by the Bulldogs finished the extended 29-27 set in favor of the hosts.
