DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team will return to the Aggie/Phoenix Volleyball for Unity tournament for a second straight year and will play co-host North Carolina A&T State University on Friday before competing against UNCG on the campus of Elon University on Saturday.
 
MATCH INFO

Friday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m.
NC Central at N.C. A&T
Greensboro, N.C. (Moore Gym)
WATCH (FloSports); LIVE STATS
 
Saturday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m.
NC Central vs. UNCG
Elon, N.C. (Schar Center)
WATCH (FloSports); LIVE STATS

NC CENTRAL VOLLEYBALL
 
The Eagles are coming off a 3-1 loss in their home debut against North Carolina A&T back on Aug. 30. NC Central (0-4) will begin play in the Volley for Unity with its second straight match against the Aggies.
 
A trio of freshmen have jumped into NCCU's lineup and are leading the maroon and gray attack. Kamren Harper tops the Eagles with 2.54 kills per set while Tori Wilson and Emmie Modlin are chipping in 2.00 and 1.46 kills per set, respectively, through their first four collegiate matches.
 
Harper is coming off her first collegiate double-double with season-best totals of 12 kills and 10 digs against N.C. A&T. Wilson also reached double-digit kills for the first time with 10 kills against the Aggies as she sports a team-best .313 hitting percentage while also topping NCCU with 0.92 blocks per set.
 
Senior Daryn Armstrong is a fourth Eagle averaging over one kill per set, but she missed NCCU's first showdown with North Carolina A&T.
 
Sophomore Vanila Pulu-Suliafu has been NCCU's primary setter this season and is contributing 6.54 assists per set, including a season-high 27 assists against the Aggies. Pulu-Suliafu also ranks second on the team with 2.15 digs per set.
 
Sophomore libero Loren Johnson is providing team-best averages of 4.00 digs and 0.46 aces per set. Against N.C. A&T, Johnson produced season-best marks of 22 digs and four aces.
 
NCCU is 15-17 against N.C. A&T at the DI level, but has lost the last 11 meetings. The Eagles have lost all six of their meetings against UNCG in the modern era, but did go five sets with the Spartans last season.
 
N.C. A&T VOLLEYBALL
 
The Aggies have dropped four consecutive matches since last winning against NCCU on Aug. 30. North Carolina A&T (3-5) is coming off a 3-0 home loss to Wake Forest University on Tuesday.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Naiya Sawtelle, who was an all-conference performer in the Big South Conference as a rookie last year, has come out swinging to begin her second season by leading the Aggies with 3.88 kills per set, which is good for second most in the CAA and 77th nationally.
 
N.C. A&T ranks sixth nationally with 58 total aces on the season and Sawtelle leads the group by serving up 18 of those aces for an average of 0.56 aces per set.
 
Freshman setter Chiara Napoli tops A&T with 4.41 assists. Other statistical leaders for the Aggies include senior middle blocker Mallory Porcher averaging 0.84 blocks per and junior Morgan Allen tallying 3.28 digs per set. Sophomore Hannah Howell, who joined Sawtelle on the Big South All-Freshman Team last year, ranks second on the team with averages of 2.59 kills and 2.28 digs per set and third on the team with 0.34 aces per set to average over three points per set.
 
N.C. A&T – now member of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) – hit .265 with eight aces in its win against the Eagles earlier in the season. Sawtelle and Howell led the Aggies with 19 and 17 kills, respectively.
 
UNCG VOLLEYBALL
 
The Spartans have won their last two matches and will enter the two-day event last defeating Queens University of Charlotte in four sets on Tuesday. UNCG (5-2) will play Florida A&M University on Friday before battling the Eagles on Saturday.
 
A trio of Spartan starters are averaging over two kills per set in freshman Mya Wood (2.96), junior Taylor Robertson (2.79) and senior Elayne Grisbee (2.04). Wood has reached double-digit kills in four of her first seven collegiate matches, including a pair of 18-kill performances. Robertson, who is coming off her second double-double of the season with season-best 17 kills against Queens, is second on the team with 2.63 digs per set. Grisbee tops UNCG with 0.83 blocks per set.
 
Freshman libero Ella Voegele has taken over the team lead in digs (88) and aces (11) for averages of 3.38 digs and 0.42 aces per set.
 
Senior Gabriela McHugh continues her reign as UNCG's setter, averaging 9.28 assists per set. McHugh was a SoCon All-Conference First Team selection last season and is a SoCon Preseason All-Conference Team honoree this season.
 
McHugh totaled 50 assists, 16 digs and eight kills in UNCG's five-set victory over NCCU last season.