North Carolina A&T Falls to High Point, 3-1

GREENSBORO-The North Carolina A&T volleyball team made their Moore Gymnasium debut on Sunday afternoon and christened their new home with a set victory to open the match against High Point. 

The Aggies (0-18) put up a strong fight against the Panthers (12-5), but lost 25-23, 21-25, 7-25, 21-25 in the first of a six-match homestand.

Freshman Aleena McDaniel led the team with nine kills, and sophomore Aprill McRae posted a .235 hitting percentage to led the team in that category.  Junior Jeana Daniels also ended the match with five blocks.  The Aggies hung tough in the second and fourth sets after winning the first, but weren't able to overcome an early deficit in each set to pick up the win.

In the first set, the two teams tied it up at 17-17, at 18-18 and again at 19-19.  An attack error by HPU gave the Aggies a 20-19 lead.  The Aggies kept the pressure up on the Panthers, and took a 23-20 lead on an ace by Murphye Williams.  An attack error by A&T freshman Brooke Stames made it a 23-22 game. A service ace by HPU tied up the set again at 23-all. An attack error by Chelsea Davis brought the Aggies within set point.  A block by senior Andrea Evans and McRae gave A&T the set victory at 25-23.  

Down in set two, the Aggies worked to come back from behind.  A kill by McRae brought the Aggies within six at 22-16. The Aggies kept up the pressure on the Panthers and made it 22-18 on a block by Daniels and Chelsea Fox. The Aggies crept closer with a kill by Daniels.   An attack error by HPU made it a 24-21, but a service error by Williams gave the Panthers the set. 

In set three, the Panthers took a strong 18-6 lead and did not look back.  They won the set by a score of 25-7.   

In the fourth set, the Panthers got ahead, 12-7, but the Aggies clawed back to pull within one at 16-15 on an ace by Stamnes.  Back-to-back kills and an ace by McDaniel brought the Aggies within two at 22-20.  But the Panthers collected the three points they needed to win the match. 

For the complete story, visit www.ncataggies.com

Coppin State Tops Morgan State in MEAC Opener

BALTIMORE - Ariel Richard had 13 kills and 13 digs to lead Coppin State to a 25-18, 11-25, 30-28, 25-20 victory over Morgan State in both schools Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener on Sunday in Hill Field House.

Richard posted her second double-double of the season to lead the Eagles to the victory over the Bears. Bianca Chatman added nine kills, Gabrielle Otero had 14 digs and Chelsee Sauni had 31 assists for the Eagles.

The victory raised Coppin State's record to 5-7, which matched its victory total for all of last season.

Morgan State (0-12, 0-1 MEAC) was led by Samantha Prescott who had 12 kills, while Janelle Wilson had 10 kills.

Coppin State took control of the first set by breaking an 8-8 tie with a 12-5 run that pushed the lead to 20-13. The Eagles closed out the first set on a kill by Chatman, a Morgan State hitting error and a service ace by Otero.

Morgan State bounced back to cruise to a 25-11 victory in the second set.

The third set was a back-and-forth affair that neither team led by more than three points.

Morgan State served for the set leading 25-24, but Chatman recorded a kill to knot the score at 25-25.

The Eagles took a 26-25 lead on another kill from Chatman, but Wilson tied the score at 26-26 with a kill.

Chatman and Wilson exchanged kills to tie the score at 27-27, but a Chatman hitting error gave the Bears a 28-27 lead. Chatman answered the call once again as her kill tied the score at 28-28.

A kill by Kandace Thomas gave the Eagles the lead for good at 29-28 and Otero clinched the third set victory with a kill.

The fourth set was tied at 14-14, but two Morgan State hitting errors and a setting error gave the Eagles a 19-15 lead.

A kill by Prescott cut the CSU lead to 22-20, but a kill by Sauni, a Morgan State hitting error and a kill by Richard closed out the set, and the match for the Eagles.

For the complete story, visit www.coppinstatesports.com or www.morganstatebears.com