DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University volleyball will play its last two home matches of the season when the Eagles entertain Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Southern Division foe South Carolina State University on Tuesday-Wednesday, March 23-24. NCCU will recognize its senior class before Wednesday's second match that is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
MATCH INFO:
DATE: Tuesday, March 23 (4 PM) & Wednesday, March 23 (1 PM)
LOCATION: McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham, N.C.
WATCH:
NCCU Sports Network
FOLLOW:
Live Stats;
@NCCUAthletics
NC CENTRAL COURT:
The Eagles will be playing for the first time in over a month. NCCU (2-2 Overall, 2-2 MEAC) last hosted N.C. A&T on Feb. 19-20 and lost both matches 3-0. The Eagles are in second place in the Southern Division and the top two teams in each division qualify for the MEAC Championship tournament.
Junior outside hitter
Arlanda Faulkner, who leads the Eagles with 2.58 kills per set, ranks second in the MEAC with a hitting percentage of .371. She had a team-high nine kills in both matches against the Aggies and ranks sixth in the league in kills. Classmate
Jasmine Sanders is second on the team with 2.25 kills per set for a squad that has six players averaging over one kill per set.
Freshman setter
Lauren Janok has reached 20-plus kills in each of her first four collegiate matches and she ranks second in the MEAC with 7.92 assists per set. She also sits seventh in the conference with 0.42 aces per set after serving up four aces in her last match.
Redshirt junior middle blocker
Ammaarah Williams leads the league with 1.09 blocks per set and ranks second in the MEAC with 0.73 aces per set. Williams, who is also providing 1.91 kills per set, tops the Eagles with 3.32 points per set.
Senior libero
Yomaries Villegas paces NCCU's back row and ranks seventh in the league with 2.92 digs per set after tallying a season-best 11 digs in her last match.
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE COURT:
The Lady Bulldogs have lost all six of their matches this season. SC State (0-6, 0-6) has not won a match since the 2018 season, losing its last 47 matches.
However, S.C. State is under the direction of new head coach Dawn Barnes and she has assembled a nearly completely new roster of six transfers, one freshman and just one returning letter winner.
Senior outside hitter Jessica Beanard leads the Lady Bulldogs with 1.11 kills per set and 1.83 digs per set. Sophomore Destanie Aydt is SCSU's primary setter and she is averaging 3.11 assists per set. Aydt also leads the Lady Bulldogs with 0.33 aces per set.
SERIES:
NCCU has won 10 straight matches against South Carolina St. to take an 18-9 series lead over the Lady Bulldogs since joining the DI ranks in 2007. The Eagles swept a pair of matches against SC State in Orangeburg on Feb. 11-12 by set scores of 25-7, 25-11, 25-14 and 25-13, 25-10, 25-18. NCCU hit .372 over the course of those six sets.
