DURHAM, N.C. — The North Carolina Central University volleyball team will stay in the "Bull City" to play three matches in the Duke Classic on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 17-18, inside Cameron Indoor Stadium.
MATCH INFO:
DATE: Fri., Sept. 17 at Duke (10 AM)
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DATE: Fri., Sept. 17 vs. Cornell (5 PM)
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DATE: Sat., Sept. 18 vs. Long Island (12 PM)
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LOCATION: Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, N.C.
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LIVE STATS;
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NOTE: Fans are encouraged to check
NCCUEaglePride.com for schedule updates
NC CENTRAL COURT:
The Eagles will be concluding a season-long stretch of nine straight matches away from home. NCCU (1-6 Overall) is coming off a pair of 3-0 losses to N.C. A&T and UNC Asheville at the Aggie/Phoenix Volley for Unity Tournament.
Senior outside hitter
Arlanda Faulkner has reached double-digit kills in three matches this season and leads the Eagles with 2.71 kills per set. Classmate
Ammaarah Williams, a Preseason All-MEAC selection, is chipping in 2.21 kills per set with a .333 hitting percentage to go along with 1.00 blocks per set (ranks third best in the MEAC).
Sophomore
Lauren Janok is just one of nine setters at the NCAA Division I level to have recorded a triple-double in a match this season after posting that accomplishment last week at UNCG. Janok ranks third in the MEAC with 7.83 assists per set and sixth in the league with 0.42 aces per set. Janok fills up box scores by also averaging nearly one kill, one block and three digs per set.
Defensively, redshirt sophomore
Alyssa Pieh and senior
Celene Morris top the maroon and gray with averages of 4.25 and 3.54 digs per set, respectively.
The Eagles, who will be playing Duke for the first time since becoming full DI members in 2011, last played the Blue Devils in 2010 (L, 3-0). NCCU will be playing Cornell and Long Island for the first time in the modern era.
DUKE COURT:
The Blue Devils started the season on a six-match win streak, but have lost their last two matches to pair of teams – Michigan and North Carolina – that are currently receiving votes in the AVCA national poll. Duke (6-2 Overall) was picked ninth out of 15 teams in the ACC Volleyball Preseason Poll.
Senior libero Mackenzie Cole ranks sixth in the ACC with 3.84 digs per set. Classmate Ade Owokoniran tops Duke's hitters with 3.04 kills per set. Cole and Owokoniran join graduate student Payton Schwantz (1.95 KPS) as All-ACC Team honorees in 2020-21. Senior setter Alex Springate is eighth in the ACC with 8.71 assists per set for a Blue Devils attack that is hitting .218 on the season.
CORNELL COURT:
The Big Red, who are picked third out of eight teams in the Ivy League Preseason Volleyball Poll, just hosted their home invitational and picked up a straight-set win over Bucknell in the finale to level their record. Cornell (3-3 Overall) will play LIU on Friday before battling the Eagles later that afternoon.
Senior Madison Baptiste and junior Joanna Chang are both averaging three kills per set for a Big Red attack that is hitting .202 on the season. Senior Casey Justus follows just behind with 2.59 kills per set while topping the Ivy League with a .354 hitting percentage. Junior setter Emma Worthington his setting up the Cornell attack with 10.36 assists per set (second in the Ivy League) and leads the Big Red with 3.77 digs per set as she has already recorded five double-doubles this season. Sophomore Sydney Moore is Cornell's top blocker with 18 block assists in 19 sets.
LONG ISLAND COURT:
The Sharks went 1-2 in their last event, picking up their win against the host Dolphins at the Jacksonville Invite last weekend. LIU (2-7 Overall) – picked second out of eight teams in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Volleyball Preseason Poll after earning the conferences NCAA automatic qualifier last year – will play Cornell and Duke on Friday before finishing up against the Eagles.
Senior libero Anastasia Scott is the reigning NEC Defensive Player of the Year and she currently ranks second in the league with 4.57 digs per set. Two other Sharks joined Scott as First Team All-NEC performers last year in graduate student Jovana Stekovic and junior Karolina Nova. Stekovic tops the team with 3.74 kills per set while Nova is providing 1.67 kills per set. Jordan MacDonald is proving to be an impact freshman for LIU, netting 1.85 kills per set.
