DURHAM, N.C. – Playing in front of a vocal home crowd, the North Carolina Central volleyball team toppled Gardner-Webb 3-0 (25-23, 27-25, 25-17) in the season home opener at McDougald-McLendon Arena on Tuesday.

The Eagles evened their record at 2-2 after their second straight win. Gardner-Webb dropped to 1-3 overall.

Once again, several players keyed NCCU to victory. Kamren Harper tallied 18 kills and Leanna Beaty added nine kills and nine digs. Manuela Cripa Nasser had 37 assists while Loren Johnson and Neira Joldic totaled 17 digs and 12 digs, respectively.

Gabriela Felix-Baeza finished with five service aces and Jenelle Mason contributed eight kills and five blocks.

EAGLES OUTLAST GWU IN FIRST TWO SETS
The Eagles outlasted Gardner-Webb in the first two sets which were each decided by two points. NCCU held a 16-10 lead in the first set but GWU closed within 24-23 before committing a service error, giving the Eagles the win in the opening set.

NCCU fell behind in the second set, trailing 15-8. The Eagles fought back, however, outscoring GWU 9-1 to gain a 17-16 lead. Gardner-Webb regained momentum at 22-19 but Loren Johnson tied the score 24-24 on a service ace. Trailing 25-24, the Eagles took control, scoring the last three points on Madi Disu's kill and back-to-back GWU attack errors for the 27-25 victory.

CROWD CHEERS EAGLES TO VICTORY IN THIRD SET
The Eagles sensed victory after the second set and they took it with help from an enthusiastic crowd inside McDougald-McLendon Arena. The third set was close like the first two sets but the Eagles used a 5-0 run to open a 15-8 lead. The crowd erupted on every kill and block by the NCCU players, who fed off the fans' energy and pulled away to win the match. The Eagles defeated Gardner-Webb for the second time in 13 matches but it was their second win in the last three meetings.

QUOTES
"This is probably one of the largest crowds we've had and the most involved and most intense," middle blocker Amarah Johnson said. "It definitely was the loudest. It was really crazy to see our school here to support us. We haven't had that before in the past, especially for our first home game."

"I feel good," said first-year Head Coach Jonathan Paulk when asked about his team. "We still have a lot of learning to do, obviously, but I think we are right where we need to be. We certainly made strides today."

"I was extremely surprised with the energy of the crowd," Paulk added. "The fans and students were phenomenal. It was loud, it was charged and it was a fun environment."

"One of the biggest differences I've seen is our energy," setter Loren Johnson said. "Before our culture was kind of like 'we are just coming to play' but now we are playing to win."

UP NEXT
The Eagles head to Washington, D.C., for the Georgetown/George Washington Event this weekend. They will face both Georgetown and George Washington on Friday, Sept. 5, and take on Temple on Saturday, Sept. 6.
 
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