DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team held late leads of 22-21 in the third set and 23-22 in the fourth set, but visiting University of Maryland Eastern Shore rallied both times to complete a 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory on Sunday afternoon.
The Hawks hit a combined .388 in their three set wins to claim their second league win in three days. Eastern Shore (4-12 Overall, 2-3 MEAC) received 15 and 11 kills, respectively, from freshman Nkemijika Ikemefuna and sophomore Charlize Williams.
Reigning MEAC Player of the Week
Kamren Harper continued her strong play for the Eagles with a match-high 17 kills. The freshman outside hitter hit .429 for the match and totaled 18.5 points by adding one aces and one block assist.
The maroon and gray served up its most service aces on the season. However, NCCU's 15 aces were thwarted by a season worst 13 service errors.
Freshman
Tori Wilson topped the Eagles with six aces and sophomore
Loren Johnson launched five aces. Wilson also had nine kills and one block assist for 15.5 points. Johnson led NCCU with 11 digs. Freshman
Emmie Modlin, who had six kills, matched graduate student
Daryn Armstrong with three block assists.
Sophomore setter
Vanila Pulu-Suliafu netted her fifth double-double of the season with 33 assists and 10 digs.
The Eagles held an early 7-2 lead in the first set, but the Hawks hit .467 in the set to rally for the five-point win. NCCU leveled the match by holding Eastern Shore to a negative hitting percentage and with the aid of three aces by Johnson. The Eagles then led by as many as six in the third set and were still ahead 23-22 on a Wilson kill, but won four of the next five points to rally. The Hawks held a slim lead for most of the fourth before a kill by Harper helped rally NCCU to its last 22-21 edge. However, Eastern Shore used an ace and two kills to end the match with another narrow two-point set win.
NC Central (3-13 Overall, 2-3 MEAC) will next go on the road for a MEAC match at Howard University on Friday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m.