DURHAM, N.C. – Freshmen
Tori Wilson and
Kamren Harper combined for 25 kills in leading the North Carolina Central University volleyball team to a 3-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over Morgan State University inside McDougald-McLendon Arena on Friday evening.
The Eagles completed the season-series sweep of the Bears with the 25-18, 25-21, 27-25 triumph. NC Central has now won two consecutive matches for the first time this season.
Wilson blasted a match-high 13 kills on just 22 attempts with only two errors for a sizzling .500 hitting percentage. Harper recorded two consecutive points to clinch the extended third set on her way to a dozen kills.
The maroon and gray hit .290 as a team, which is NCCU's second highest hitting percentage this season.
A trio of other Eagles added five kills apiece, including junior
Abby Vacha, sophomore
Vanila Pulu-Suliafu and freshman
Emmie Modlin. Graduate student
Daryn Armstrong chipped in three kills and a team-best three blocks (one solo).
Pulu-Suliafu setup the hot-hitting NCCU attack with 30 assists. She also matched sophomore libero
Loren Johnson with 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the season.
Johnson also served up a team-best three ace, all of which were launched in the seven-point, first-set win. Harper netted five of her 12 kills in the second set as the hosts grabbed the commanding 2-nil set cushion.
Morgan State (2-20 Overall, 1-7 MEAC) did its best to try and extend the match, leading by as many as five points past the midway point of the final set. Trailing 16-11, NCCU went on a 10-3 run that featured two kills and an ace by Wilson and two blocks by Armstrong to catapult ahead by two points at 21-19. The Bears were able to regain the lead for two points, but the Eagles answered each time before serving for match point on three occasions. Harper set up NCCU's third attempt to close out the match with a spike and then her second straight kill ended the contest.
Sophomore Madison Grace had a team-best 12 kills for the Bears.
NC Central (5-14, 4-4) will try for a third consecutive win on Sunday, hosting Coppin State University in a MEAC clash at 1 p.m. The two Eagle programs played a five-set affair in Baltimore on Sept. 25.
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