PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – University of Maryland Eastern Shore hit over .300 for just the third time this season to win a pivotal Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) showdown against visiting North Carolina Central University, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Hawks entered the match tied in the league standings with the Eagles. Maryland Eastern Shore (7-15 Overall, 5-6 MEAC) was able to move ahead of NCCU, hitting .314 in the 25-23, 25-14, 25-13 triumph.
 
Freshman Kamren Harper led the maroon and gray with seven kills. Classmates Tori Wilson and Emmie Modlin added five and four kills, respectively. Graduate student Daryn Armstrong added three kills and a .500 hitting percentage to go along with a team-best two block assists.
 
Sophomore libero Loren Johnson reached double-digit digs for a fifth straight match, leading the Eagles with 10 digs. Sophomore setter Vanila Pulu-Suliafu supplied 14 assists.
 
Wilson and Johnson each had two aces.
 
In a close first set, NCCU had the score leveled at 21-all before Eastern Shore won four of the final six points to squeak out the narrow two-point win. The Hawks took that momentum into the middle set, hitting .333 in that next stanza to win it by 10 points. Eastern Shore then started the final frame on a 7-1 run on the way to a 12-point win to close out the match.
 
Derionah Abner led the victors with 12 kills.
 
NC Central (5-17, 4-7) will next host Howard University on Friday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m.
 
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