DURHAM, N.C. — A pair of rivals will meet on Friday and Saturday in a couple of clashes that pits two teams that enter the week undefeated in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play when the North Carolina Central University volleyball teams hosts North Carolina A&T State University inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
SCHEDULE UPDATE: Please note the matches have been delayed for one day due to the forecast of inclement weather on Thursday. The first match is now scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. and the second match is slated to start at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
MATCH INFO:
DATE: Fri., Feb. 19 (6 PM) & Sat., Feb. 20 (4 PM)
LOCATION: McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham, N.C.
TICKETS: NO fans allowed
WATCH:
NCCU Sports Network (Free)
FOLLOW:
Live Stats;
@NCCUAthletics
MEAC UPDATE:
With Bethune-Cookman University and Florida A&M University opting out of the shifted fall-to-spring volleyball season, Norfolk State University has been moved into the Southern Division with NCCU, South Carolina St. and North Carolina A&T State University. Each Southern Division program will play the other three teams four times (two home, two away), with the top two teams then advancing to the MEAC Championship tournament semifinals in Norfolk, Virginia.
NC CENTRAL COURT:
The Eagles are coming off a season-opening road sweep of MEAC Southern Division foe South Carolina State University last week, winning both matches in three sets. NCCU (2-0 Overall, 2-0 MEAC) is off to its best start in the programs DI era and best start since beginning the 2007 season 3-0.
NCCU has had a hot-hitting attack to start the campaign. The Eagles have a .372 team hitting percentage through two matches, with freshman setter
Lauren Janok setting up the offense with an average of 8.83 assists per set. Janok also leads NCCU with 3.33 digs per set.
Junior
Ammaarah Williams was the top point producer for the Eagles in both triumphs over the Lady Bulldogs. Williams is averaging 2.6 kills per set and team-best averages of 1.6 aces and 1.4 blocks per set. Classmate
Jasmine Sanders tops NCCU with 2.8 kills per set.
A total of six NCCU players are averaging over one kill per set, including junior
Arlanda Faulkner (2.17), junior
Morgan Goodwin (2.00), senior
McKayla Young (1.80) and freshman
Maria Almeida.
A trio of Eagles follow Janok with over two digs per set in junior
Celene Morris (2.83), senior
Yomaries Villegas (2.50) and Almeida (2.00).
NORTH CAROLINA A&T COURT:
The Aggies bounced back from a 3-1 loss against East Carolina University in their opener by claiming a pair of 3-0 MEAC victories over Norfolk State University last week. N.C. A&T (2-1 Overall, 2-0 MEAC) is coming off its first postseason appearance by competing in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) tournament in 2019 after going 13-1 in league play. The Aggies were selected the preseason favorites in the Southern Division back in the fall.
Senior setter Edie Brewer is a reigning MEAC Co-Player of the Year from 2019 and is the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year this season. Brewer, who has earned MEAC Setter of the Week each of the first two weeks this season, is averaging 7.0 assists, 3.00 digs, 1.90 kills and 0.90 aces per set.
The Aggies have also claimed MEAC Defensive Specialist of the Week honors both weeks with junior libero Andrea Laboy-Rivera collecting the award first and junior middle blocker Shaylynn Hall following with the same honors this past week. Laboy-Rivera tops N.C. A&T with 4.6 digs per set while Hall paces the squad with 1.2 blocks per set.
Junior Fatimah Shabazz is supplying a team-best 3.60 kills per set with a .338 hitting percentage. Two-time MEAC First Team honoree senior Courteney Pitt follows with 2.86 kills per set in her first two appearances of the season.
SERIES:
NCCU still holds a 15-12 series lead on the Aggies in the DI era despite N.C. A&T winning the last six straight meetings over the past three seasons. The two matches last season were close with the Aggies winning 3-2 (27-29, 22-25, 25-16, 25-20, 17-15) and 3-1 (27-25, 25-15, 25-17).
