DURHAM, N.C. – Sophomore outside hitter Emmie Modlin blasted a career-high 21 kills in pacing the North Carolina Central University volleyball team to a 3-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference home victory over University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Friday evening inside the LeRoy T. Walker Complex.
 
Modlin, the reigning MEAC Co-Player of the Week, ripped her 21 kills on 44 swings with just five errors for a sizzling .364 hitting percentage. She also had one ace and two blocks (one solo) for a match-high 23.5 points.
 
Junior setter Bella Dearinger supplied a season-high 46 assists as the Eagles hit .222 for the match on the way to rallying for the 27-29, 26-24, 25-21, 25-22 triumph. Dearinger, who served up two aces and supplied four kills, also completed her sixth double-double of the season with 10 digs.
 
NCCU led the first set 20-14 before UMES went on an 8-2 run to tie the opening frame. The Hawks kept the momentum, but needed four attempts at set point before winning the longest game of the match.
 
In another close stanza, Modlin came with a clutch kill to tie the set at 24-all before UMES committed two straight errors as NCCU leveled the match.
 
Modlin, who tallied an incredible 10 kills in the opening set, registered five more spikes in the third set and the maroon and gray took the lead in the match. The Eagles then hit .333 in the fourth set to complete the comeback. Modlin and sophomore classmate Kamren Harper each had four kills in that final set.
 
Harper finished with 11 kills while sophomore Jeslyn Spencer filled up the box score with eight kills, 11 digs, two aces and two block assists.
 
The Eagles had their best blocking performance of the campaign, tallying a season-high 12 team blocks. Freshman Amarah Johnson participated in half of NCCU's blocks with three solo blocks and three block assists. Graduate student Isa Dostal followed with four block assists. Dostal and Johnson also netted six and five kills, respectively.
 
Two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week junior libero Lauren Johnson topped the Eagles with a team-high 13 digs.
 
Sophomore Soleil Cotton led the visiting Hawks with 15 points, including 12 kills and five blocks (one solo).
 
NC Central will conclude Homecoming weekend with another MEAC match inside the LT Walker Complex when the Eagles entertain Delaware State University on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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