WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Freshman outside hitter
Kamren Harper blasted eight kills in a pair of matches for the North Carolina Central University volleyball teams on Saturday, but the Eagles lost both neutral-site tilts at the Wake Forest Invitational to Kennesaw State University and Western Carolina University in straight sets.
NC Central (0-3) will next make its home debut when the Eagles host non-conference rival North Carolina A&T State University on Tuesday at 6 p.m.
FIRST MATCH: Kennesaw State 3, NC Central 0
Harper and fellow freshman
Emmie Modlin led the Eagles with eight kills apiece, but the Owls used a fast start to claim the straight-set triumph.
Kennesaw State (2-0) made nine blocks and finished with a .215 hitting percentage in the 25-9, 25-22, 25-18 win to remain undefeated on the early campaign.
Modlin flirted with a double-double, adding 10 digs to her eight kills. Harper hit a team-best .294 on the way to her eight kills. Freshman
Tori Wilson and senior
Daryn Armstrong each chipped in four kills.
Sophomore setter
Vanila Pulu-Suliafu netted team-best totals of 22 assists and two aces while just missing a second-straight double-double with nine digs. Sophomore libero
Loren Johnson led the Eagles with 12 digs.
KSU used a balanced attack with five Owls recording at least six kills. Freshman Manu Johnsen led all players with nine kills. Senior Jasmine Brown, who had six kills, contributed on seven of Kennesaw State's nine blocks with three solo blocks and four block assists for 11 points.
SECOND MATCH: Western Carolina 3, NC Central 0
The Catamounts hit a stellar .419 to win their second consecutive match as they defeated the host Demon Deacons earlier on Saturday. Senior Merry Gebel led Western Carolina (2-1) with 12 kills.
Harper recorded eight kills for the Eagles and finished with a team-best 11 points by adding two aces and two block assists. Wilson matched Harper with eight kills.
Pulu-Suliafu contributed 20 assists while Johnson led the back row with 11 digs.
In a pair of 25-15 set wins to start the match, Western Carolina never trailed.
The Eagles had their first and only two leads of the match early in the third set. An ace by senior
Abby Vacha lifted NCCU to a 6-4 edge before the Catamounts won 13 of the next 18 points to push ahead for good. A kill by Wilson inched the Eagles within one point on one more occasion, but Western Carolina capped the match on an 8-2 run.
