DOVER, Del. – The North Carolina Central University volleyball team opens the 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Volleyball Championship quarterfinals against the hosts Delaware State University for the third straight postseason on Friday, Nov. 22 at 8:30 p.m.
The three-day tournament will be played at the Memorial Hall Gym in Dover, Del. from Nov. 22-24. The Eagles have earned the six-seed finishing conference play at 5-9 while the Hornets are the three-seed after going 10-4 against MEAC competition.
Single-day tickets are available online for $10 while the full three-day tournament pass is available for $25 online also. Sunday's championship match will be televised live on ESPNU at 8:30 p.m.
2024 MEAC Volleyball Championship | Tickets | Live Stats
MATCH INFO
Quarterfinals, Friday, Nov. 22 at 8:30 p.m.
No.6 NC Central vs No.3 Delaware State
Dover, Del. – Memorial Hall Gym
NCCU COURT
The Eagles (7-18, 5-9 MEAC) concluded the regular season on the road in Orangeburg, S.C. sweeping South Carolina State University on Nov. 15. Junior Kamren Harper led NCCU with 14 kills as sophomore Kayden Cupid and junior Emmie Modlin chipped in with eight and seven kills, respectively.
Senior Bella Dearinger assisted on all but six kills (34 assists) for the offense and juniors Gabriela Felix-Baeza and Tayah Little controlled the defense with 10 digs and five blocks, respectively.
NCCU is tasked with playing Delaware State on their home court in the opening round for the third consecutive season. The Eagles were swept in last year's quarterfinals by the Hornets. This season, NC Central was 0-2 versus Delaware State but took DSU to five sets in early October in Dover.
NCCU Statistical Leaders – Per Set
KILLS: #13 Kamren Harper (3.19)
ACES: #35 Gabriela Felix-Baeza (0.38)
ASSISTS: #1 Bella Dearinger (8.55)
DIGS: #35 Gabriela Felix-Baeza (3.38)
BLOCKS: #18 Kayden Cupid (0.66)
DELAWARE STATE COURT
Last time out, Delaware State swept the University of Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 15 as Gerren Tomlin had a match-high 13 kills. Alondra Maldonado and Valeria Otero each had eight kills as well. Paige Ahakulo assisted on 18 points teaming up with Naz Tuncay who had 14 assists.
DSU (14-13, 10-4 MEAC) has defeated every conference team at least once this season except Howard University. Tomlin leads the conference and is 16th in the nation in aces per set (0.54). Her total of 53 service aces leads the MEAC and ranks her 15th in the nation in that statistic.
In the 2023 MEAC Volleyball Championship, Delaware State fell 3-0 to Howard as the three seed in the semifinals. No.1 Coppin State University would go on to win the championship last season.
DSU Statistical Leaders – Per Set
KILLS: #1 Gerren Tomlin (3.19)
ACES: #1 Gerren Tomlin (0.53)
ASSISTS: #9 Paige Ahakuelo (5.14)
DIGS: #1 Gerren Tomlin (2.64)
BLOCKS: #30 Hannah Sanders (0.67)
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