NORFOLK, Va. – Youth overcame experience as Team Gold defeated Team Green, 3-1, Saturday afternoon during the Norfolk State volleyball team's annual Green and Gold scrimmage at Joseph Echols Hall.

In front of a crowd of 80-90 fans, Gold won, 25-22, 17-25, 25-22 and 25-17. Team Gold consisted of freshmen Noelle Eagles, Kylee Thiim, Arielle Knafel and Tiana Patterson, and sophomores Ellica Morris, Kristen Burt, Charlotte Armstead and Omolayo Dada.

“Our freshmen did what we brought them in to do, which is to play a big role in the positions that we need them in and press the upperclassmen to play their best ball,” said interim head coach Brandon Duvall.

Senior Tracey Copley, juniors Nicole Kessner and Jasmine Frazier, redshirt sophomore Paige Gary-Canty and sophomores Maatra Henderson and Chynna Blaker played the entire match on the floor for Team Green.

In the first set, Green held an 11-7 advantage, but Gold turned it around after a timeout, later taking the lead at 20-19. Green held off match point to cut the deficit to two at 24-22, but Thiim threw down a kill to give Gold the first set, 25-22.

Green built a 3-1 lead to start the second set, but Gold won the next four points to go up, 5-3, early on. Green called a timeout down 13-10, and after they tied it up at 14-14, Green went on a 6-0 run to make it 20-14,  eventually forcing Gold to call a timeout at 22-16. Green then took the set, 25-17.

The third set saw Gold take the early lead, 4-1, before Green got the advantage back at 6-5. Green extended the lead to five at 17-12 later in the set, before Gold chipped away at the lead and tied the score at 19-19.  Gold won four of the next five points to go up, 23-20, and after Green got the deficit to one at 23-22, Gold secured the third-set win at 25-22 as Thiim was there in the middle for the block on match point.

Up 2-1, Gold did not let up in the fourth set, building up a five-point lead at 12-7 before extending it to seven at 18-11. Gold called a timeout to regroup after Green won three straight points to cut the lead to 18-14. From there, though, it was all Gold as a Green attack error ended the fourth set and the match, 25-17.

“It was probably our strongest Green and Gold Scrimmage we've ever had,” said Duvall. “Gold came in and won three out of four, and they were just a little bit more explosive and quicker on the court.”

The Spartans kick off their 2010 season Friday as they host the Spartan Classic beginning at 11 a.m. Navy, Kent State, Providence and UNC Greensboro will take part, with five matches Friday followed by another five matches Saturday.