DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central begins the 2025 volleyball season at the Seahawk Classic in Wilmington, N.C. on Aug. 29-30. The event will be held at Hanover Hall on the UNC Wilmington campus.

The Eagles will face Virginia Tech in the season opener on Friday (Aug. 29) at 10 a.m. They take on Lindenwood the same day at 4:30 p.m. NCCU will tangle with UNC Wilmington on Saturday (Aug. 30) at 2 p.m.

Follow the Eagles via live stats on nccueaglepride.com. FloCollege will livestream the NCCU-UNCW match for a fee. Click HERE for the link.

This is the first time NCCU will meet Virginia Tech and Lindenwood in volleyball. The Eagles have faced UNCW in four previous meetings, the last time in 2019. NCCU is 0-4 in the series.

The Eagles, led by new head coach Jonathan Paulk, return 11 players including outside hitter Kamren Harper and defensive specialists Loren Johnson and Gabriela Felix-Baeza. NCCU added eight newcomers to the roster.

Last season, Harper ranked fifth in the MEAC in kills per set and sixth in points per set. Felix-Baeza was fourth in the conference in digs per set and seventh in service aces per set. Johnson, an All-MEAC selection in 2023, averaged 3.64 digs in seven matches before suffering a season-ending hip injury.

Paulk, an NCCU volleyball assistant from 2016 to 2018, built a stellar reputation as head coach at Division II Shaw. He guided Shaw to back-to-back CIAA championships in 2023 and 2024. Shaw qualified for the NCAA Tournament both seasons.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.