DURHAM, NC --The North Carolina Central University volleyball team fought back from a 2-0 hole to record a comeback 3-2 victory (19-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13) against the Norfolk State University Spartans Friday at home at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
The win improved the Eagles' record to 3-9 overall and 1-0 in MEAC play.
The Eagles were led by a double-double from Emmie Modlin, who registered 17 kills and 10 digs on the day. Kamren Harper also added 25 kills to help the offense. On the defensive end, Gabriela Felix-Baeza chipped in with 24 digs to go with five blocks from Tayah Little.
Game Notes
» North Carolina Central dropped the first two sets of the match before rallying to win the final three.
» NCCU had four players in double figures in digs.
» Little had a team-high three aces in the win.
» Modlin registered a double-double with 17 kills and 10 digs.
» Harper had a match-high 25 kills for North Carolina Central.
» NCCU got a match-high 24 digs from Gabriela Felix-Baeza.
» The Eagle attackers were helped by a match-high 45 assists from Bella Dearinger.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Eagles found themselves in an early deficit, dropping a tough first set 25-19. NC Central trailed by as many as eight points as Norfolk State grabbed the advantage for good at 2-1 in a set that was tied up three times before the Spartans took control.
SET 2 | A 26-24 second-set loss put North Carolina Central in a 2-0 hole in the match. The Eagles fell in a tight second set, losing in a stanza that was tied seven times and had two lead changes.
SET 3 | NCCU got on the board after a victory in the third set to make it a 2-1 match. The Eagles persevered in a back-and-forth set to win 25-23 in a stanza that featured six lead changes and was tied 14 times. Neither team opened up a lead of more than four points along the way. NC Central's front row had a solid defensive performance, blocking four NSU attacks in the stanza.
SET 4 | North Carolina Central continued their comeback, winning the fourth set 25-21 to bring the match level to two sets apiece. The Eagles took the lead for good at 9-8 in a set that featured five ties and five lead changes. The Eagles win came in a stanza where 17 of their 25 points came from kills.
SET 5 | NCCU fell behind 2-0, but mounted an epic comeback to win the final three sets, culminating in a 15-13 fifth-set victory taking the match 3-2. The Eagles took set five propelled by a strong performance on the attacking end. NC Central registered a .346 attack percentage with 12 kills in the set win. After the lead changed hands two times, the Eagles took control for good at 11-10 and rode that advantage to victory.
