DURHAM, N.C. – With all six seniors in the starting lineup and contributing throughout the match, the North Carolina Central University volleyball team swept a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) home match over South Carolina State University on Friday evening inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
The Eagles celebrated Senior Night just before first serve, honoring a half dozen seniors: middle blocker Ammaarah Williams, middle blocker Morgan Goodwin, setter Celene Morris, middle blocker McKayla Young, outside hitter Arlanda Faulkner and right-side hitter Estfania Louis.
 
That half dozen seniors are all either four- or five-year letter winners for the maroon and gray.
 
That group played a big role in the Eagles secure the 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-11) win in their last home match.
 
With the triumph, NCCU finished the regular season with a 10-13 overall record and a 9-5 ledger in league play. The 10 wins gives the Eagles their first double-digit win season since 2007 and the nine conference victories are the most in league play since NCCU joined the MEAC in 2011-12.
 
Goodwin served up an ace on NCCU's first serve of the contest and the Eagles began the match on a 6-0 run. NC Central never trailed in winning the first set by 11 points. The Eagles launched seven more aces to win a much closer five-point second set, including two consecutive aces late by sophomore setter Lauren Janok. NCCU then hit .593 in the third set to complete the sweep with a convincing 14-point win.
 
The Eagles racked up 12 aces, which tied its season-best match total. Janok, Faulkner and Morris all recorded three aces while Goodwin had two aces.
 
NCCU hit over .300 for the fourth time this season, finishing with a .324 hitting percentage. Faulkner led the hitters with nine kills, followed by seven spikes by Williams. Janok and Morris took turns setting up the attack as they finished with 15 and 11 assists, respectively. Young participated in three of NCCU's four blocks, posting one solo and two block assists. Morris had a team-best eight digs.
 
South Carolina State (0-23, 0-14) finished its regular season without a win.
 
Junior Maria Julia Vedovatto Loreiro paced the Lady Bulldogs with nine kills and eight digs.
 
NC Central will next play in the 2021 MEAC Volleyball Championship hosted by Howard University from Friday-Sunday, Nov. 19-21. The Eagles will have one of the top-four seeds in the tournament and they will find out their seeding and quarterfinals opponent in the upcoming days. NCCU will update its volleyball schedule page with that info when it becomes available after the final MEAC regular season match is played within the league on Sunday.