DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team will play in the Volley for Unity tournament for a third consecutive season when the Eagles play Western Carolina University on Saturday and host Elon University on Sunday.
UPCOMING MATCHES:
Saturday, Sept. 9 at 4 p.m.
NC Central vs. Western Carolina
Schar Center, Elon, N.C.
VIDEO (FloVolleyball);
LIVE STATS
Sunday, Sept. 10 at 2 p.m.
NC Central at Elon
Schar Center, Elon, N.C.
VIDEO (FloVolleyball);
LIVE STATS
NC CENTRAL COURT
The Eagles are coming off a 3-2 road loss at Campbell on Tuesday. It was the fourth time in five matches that NCCU (1-4 Overall) has gone the full five sets in a match this season. The Eagles are still searching for their first win away from Durham (1-0 at home, 0-4 on the road).
The sophomore duo of
Emmie Modlin and
Kamren Harper rank in the top half dozen hitters in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with averages of 3.35 and 3.26 kills per set, respectively.
NC Central has only played Western Carolina University once in its NCAA Division I modern era and the Eagles lost that match to the Catamounts, 3-0, at the Wake Forest Invitational last season. Harper had eight kills, two aces and two block assists for a team-high 11 points in that match.
The Eagles are 0-16 against Elon in the modern era. The Phoenix swept NCCU last season. Harper had seven kills in that contest while junior setter
Azra Osmanovic tallied 11 assists and junior libero
Loren Johnson netted 11 digs and one ace.
NCCU Statistical Leaders
KILLS: #36
Emmie Modlin (3.35 KPS) and #13
Kamren Harper (3.26 KPS)
ACES: #13
Kamren Harper (0.39 APS) and #10
Jeslyn Spencer (0.39 APS)
ASSISTS: #1
Bella Dearinger (6.70 APS) and #2
Azra Osmanovic (2.50 APS)
DIGS: #9
Loren Johnson (2.87 DPS) and #10
Jeslyn Spencer (1.83 DPS)
BLOCKS: #20
Kennedy Clark (1.00 BPS) and #5
Amarah Johnson (0.60 BPS)
WESTERN CAROLINA COURT
The Catamounts just swept UNC Asheville in their home opener on Tuesday and will play host Elon on Friday night before battling the Eagles on Saturday. Western Carolina (2-5 Overall) advanced to the quarterfinals of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) last season.
With the departure of the SoCon Player of the Year/AVCA All-America honoree, sophomore Ali Morris has taken over the team lead on attack with 3.24 kills per set. Senior middle blocker Eden Punch and junior outside hitter Bailey Hartsough were both named preseason all-conference by the Sothern Conference.
In the straight-set win last season over NCCU, Hartsough tallied a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs.
WCU Statistical Leaders
KILLS: #3 Ali Morris (3.24 KPS) and #8 Bailey Haartsough (2.44 KPS)
ACES: #20 Eda Yalcinkaya (0.28 APS) and #12 Sarah Janourova (0.28 APS)
ASSISTS: #12 Sarah Janourova (5.32 APS) and Katie Boney (3.80 APS)
DIGS: #8 Bailey Hartsough (2.96 DPS) and #20 Eda Yalcinkaya (2.96 DPS)
BLOCKS: #13 Logan Carr (1.00 BPS) and #17 Eden Punch (0.76 BPS)
ELON COURT
The Phoenix suffered a 3-0 setback in their last match at Duke on Tuesday. Elon (1-6 Overall) will make its home debut against Western Carolina on Friday before hosting the Eagles on Sunday.
Senior defensive specialist Jordan Gower and junior outside hitter Sydney Love were both named to the 2023 Preseason All-CAA honorable mention list. Gower leads the Coastal Athletic Conference and ranks 78th nationally with 4.39 digs per set. Love is Elon's top hitter at 3.45 kills per set and ranks second on the team in digs and blocks.
Last season, Gower made a match-high 18 digs in Elon's triumph over NCCU.
Elon Statistical Leaders
KILLS: #10 Sydney Love (3.45 KPS) and #13 Cameron Lanier (2.60 KPS)
ACES: #6 Kyla Johnson (0.50 APS) and #1 Jessica Parker (0.35 APS)
ASSISTS: #1 Jessica Parker (5.09 APS) and #5 Ericka Link (2.91 APS)
DIGS: #18 Jordan Gower (4.39 DPS) and #10 Sydney Love (2.09 DPS)
BLOCKS: #8 Lindsey Harris (0.83 BPS) and #10 Sydney Love (0.73 BPS)
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
