Live Stats
NORFOLK, Va. – With a 3-1 record in the MEAC, the Norfolk State volleyball team will attempt to reach four conference wins for the first time since the 1998 season as the Spartans host North Carolina A&T and future MEAC foe North Carolina Central Friday and Sunday.
NSU will welcome A&T to James D. Gill Gymnasium Friday at 6 p.m., while the non-conference tilt against NCCU will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday in Joseph Echols Hall. The contest against the Eagles will wrap up a six-match homestand for the Spartans.
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NSU owns a 9-15 overall mark and had won four in a row prior to Wednesday's 3-1 loss to James Madison at Gill Gym, only the second time in a decade the NSU volleyball program won four in a row. The Spartans currently sit second in the MEAC Southern Division behind 4-0 Florida A&M.
The last road contest for the Spartans was a 3-0 victory over North Carolina A&T Oct. 8. NSU is facing Central – which will join the MEAC full-time in 2011 – for the first of two times on the season, with the Spartans heading to the Eagles' home court on Nov. 7. NCCU took last year's meeting by a 3-2 score in Durham.
About NSU
Sophomore Ellica Morris totaled a match-high 15 kills against JMU and ranks third on the team with 2.09 kills per set. Ahead of her is sophomore Charlotte Armstead at 2.39 kills and freshman Arielle Knafel at 2.48. Junior Nicole Kessner hands out 7.85 assists per set and also has the best attack percentage at .279. Armstead carries the best mark among NSU's top 5 hitters with a .208 percentage.
Freshman Noelle Eagles continues to lead the team with 3.98 digs per set, with Knafel and redshirt sophomore Paige Gary-Canty sitting second and third with 2.85 and 2.22 digs, respectively. Junior Jasmine Frazier has been NSU's top blocker with 0.65 per set, while Armstead ranks second with 0.55.
Overall, NSU hits .111 compared to .175 for opponents while posting more kills (11.1-9.9) and digs (13.3-11.8). The Spartans trail in blocks, 2.1-1.2, and in service aces, 1.7-1.6.
One of the Best Seasons Ever in D-I
With nine wins on the year, NSU has already matched its win total from 2009 and 1997. This year's squad is also within shouting distance of the 10 wins posted in 2008 and the 11 in 1999. The all-time D-I record, though, is 19 set in 1998.
With a win Friday, the Spartans will move to 4-1 on the season in the MEAC. Only one other time has NSU had four or more wins in conference play, a 5-3 mark in 1998.
About to be the All-Time Best
With 1,874 career assists, Kessner now needs just 97 more to tie Solange Honore for the most ever at NSU.
Streak Broken
James Madison held a 47-32 advantage in digs Wednesday, breaking a streak of 10 straight matches in which the Spartans had posted more digs than their opponent. NSU has posted more digs in 17 of the team's 24 matches this year.
About North Carolina A&T
The Aggies have dropped 11 in a row and own a 2-24 record, with both wins coming against Savannah State. All but two of the team's losses have been by 3-0 scores.
Jeana Daniels leads A&T with 1.55 kills per set, with Tatiana Cooper ranking second with 1.33. Amber Inman directs the offense with 5.42 assists and also leads the team with 1.86 digs. Cooper stands second with 1.60 digs, while Daniels is the team's top blocker with 0.75 per set.
The Aggies trail only slightly in blocks, 1.5-1.3, but opponents have a huge edge in digs (11.6-9.2), kills (12.2-6.6), attack percentage (.035-.278) and especially service aces (3.2-1.2).
About North Carolina Central
The Eagles own a 6-20 record, although three of those wins have come against teams that beat NSU this year: Coppin State, Delaware State and The Citadel. On the flip side, NCCU also lost to teams NSU has beaten this year: Gardner-Webb, South Carolina State and Hampton.
Belinda Behncke-Biney easily paces the team with 3.42 kills per set, with Maritsann Sinclair second at 1.90 kills. Jzima-Malaki Kalao totals 7.58 assists, and Behncke-Biney contributes 0.39 service aces per set. Raven King has a team-best 2.80 digs, while Sashalee Wallen tops all players with 0.90 blocks.
A good blocking team, NCCU trails by a 1.9-1.8 margin in that category, but opponents also have shown a decent advantage in digs (12.0-10.7), service aces (1.8-1.3), kills (11.4-9.3) and attack percentage (.215-.088).
Up Next
The Spartans will hit the road for the first time in more than two weeks with a pair of key matchups at South Carolina State and Savannah State Wednesday and Thursday.
