ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Freshman
Kamren Harper racked up 16.5 points in a three-set sweep for the visiting North Carolina Central University volleyball team as the Eagle coasted past Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival South Carolina State University by set scores of 25-11, 25-10 and 25-10 on Sunday.
NCCU improved to 2-1 against league competition while lifting its overall ledger to 3-10 after tallying a season-best .322 hitting percentage. The Eagles also held winless SCSU (0-13, 0-3) to a negative hitting percentage, its best defensive performance against another teams attack this season.
Harper reached double-digit kills for a fourth time this season with a match-high 11 kills on just 17 attempts with just two mistakes for a stellar .529 hitting percentage. She has back-to-back double-figure kill performances and is averaging 10 kills per match against conference competition. Harper also served up a season-best five aces and made one block assist on the way to her 16.5 points.
Freshman
Tori Wilson and graduate student
Autumn DeSantis also converted on majority of their attack attempts for four kills apiece. Graduate student
Daryn Armstrong followed with three kills and two aces. Wilson and Armstrong both participated on three of NCCU's six team blocks.
Harper's five aces helped the maroon and gray launch a dozen aces as NCCU has reached 10-plus service aces in all three league tilts this season. Sophomore
Loren Johnson, who led the Eagles with eight digs, matched Armstrong with two aces.
Sophomore setter
Vanila Pulu-Suliafu filled up the box score with 17 assists, five digs, two kills, one ace and one block assist.
The Bulldogs only led for one point in the whole match at 1-nil to begin the second set. Freshman Gabrielle Panzetta led the hosts with five kills on eight swings and two blocks (one solo).
NC Central will next begin a stretch of three home matches in five days when the Eagles host Elon University inside McDougald-McLendon Arena in their last non-conference clash of the season on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
