DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Morgan State in five sets (25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 25-14, 15-8) in a MEAC volleyball matchup at McDougald-McLendon Arena on Friday.
The Eagles avenged a 3-2 loss at Morgan State on Oct. 3 after leading 2-0. The victory was the second in a row and eighth overall which is the most in a season for the Eagles since 2021.
The win moved the Eagles into a fifth-place tie with Delaware State with four regular-season matches left. Both teams are only one match behind Howard, Morgan State and Maryland Eastern Shore, which are all in a three-way tie for second place in the MEAC standings.
RECORDS
NCCU – 5-5 MEAC and 8-15 overall
Morgan State – 6-4 MEAC and 9-11 overall
NCCU TOP PERFORMERS
- Kamren Harper tallied 22 kills and a career-high 21 digs, both match highs, for the 14th double-double of her career. She is six digs away from 500 career digs.
- Manuela Cripa Nasser amassed 54 assists, 11 digs and two block assists. She was four assists shy of tying the NCCU five-match assist record (58) in the Division I era.
- Allyson Rouse added 13 kills and three block assists and Jenelle Mason added eight kills.
- Loren Johnson registered 19 digs and Makenzi Searcy nearly had a double-double with seven kills and 10 digs.
- Neira Joldic had 11 digs, Tayah Little chipped in seven kills and Amarah Johnson collected two solo blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After dropping two close sets for a 2-1 deficit, the Eagles regained momentum in the fourth and fifth sets. They steamrolled Morgan State 25-14 in the fourth set and scored the first five points in the fifth set before cruising to victory.
NOTES
- The Eagles won back-to-back matches for the third time this season.
- NCCU is 8-5 against Morgan State since 2007.
- The Eagles have played six five-set matches this season.
- The match is the first of a two-match weekend homestand.
NEXT UP
The Eagles are back at home against MEAC leader Coppin State at McDougald-McLendon Arena on Sunday, Nov. 2. First serve is at 1 p.m.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.