BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team suffered a pair of 3-0 neutral-site losses on day one of the Campbell Invitational as both Robert Morris University and The Citadel registered season-best hitting performances in the wins over the Eagles.
 
NC Central (1-8) will conclude play at the Campbell Invite with a single match on Saturday when the Eagles play the host Camels at 11 a.m. NCCU hosted Campbell on Tuesday and won that match 3-2.
 
MATCH ONE: Robert Morris 3, NC Central 0
 
The Colonials hit a season-best .283 to win their sixth straight match, defeating the Eagles in straight-set scores of 25-18, 25-23 and 25-11. Sophomore outside hitter Ally Christman led the victors with a match-high 19 kills.
 
NCCU posted a hitting percentage over its season average, but the Eagles allowed Robert Morris (8-3) to serve up nine aces in the loss. NC Central hit .190 for the match with freshmen Tori Wilson (.375) and Kamren Harper (.278) leading the attack with nine and seven kills, respectively.
 
NCCU sophomore Loren Johnson and RMU counterpart Allena Carmody matched each other with 11 digs from the libero position. Carmody totaled three aces while Johnson launched two aces on the other side.
 
Sophomore setter Vanila Pulu-Suliafu recorded 15 assists for the maroon and gray.
 
In NCCU's best chance to win a set, Wilson leveled the middle frame at 23-23 with a kill. However, Christman answered with two consecutive kills to win the tightest set for the Colonials by two points.
 
MATCH TWO: The Citadel 3, NC Central 0
 
The Bulldogs hit at a .354 clip to pull their record within one match of .500 on the season with the 25-11, 25-23, 25-6 victory over the Eagles. Sophomore Ali Ruffin led The Citadel (5-6) with 17 kills, three blocks (one solo) and one ace for 20 points.
 
For a second straight match on the day, Wilson led the Eagles on attack. Wilson finished with six kills and a team-best .167 hitting percentage. Freshman Emmie Modlin matched Wilson with eight points as she contributed five kills, two aces and two block assists.
 
Other team leaders for NCCU include Pulu-Suliafu with 15 assists and Johnson with 11 digs.
 
The Eagles led as late as 18-17 in the second set, but the Bulldogs got kills from four different players to help rally The Citadel to the narrow two-point set win.