Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. – The Norfolk State volleyball team had the early momentum, but North Carolina Central rallied to take a 3-1 win over the Spartans Sunday afternoon at McDougald-McLendon Gym.

NSU looked to be in control after winning the first set, 25-19, The Eagles, though, won the second set, 25-21, and cruised in the third set, 25-11, before a final 25-22 fourth-set victory.

The loss dropped NSU's record to 11-18 overall, while NCCU improved to 9-23.

Freshman Arielle Knafel and sophomore Ellica Morris led the way for NSU on offense with 11 and 10 kills, respectively, with junior Nicole Kessner posting 30 assists and six digs. Knafel and freshman Noelle Eagles each added eight digs to the team effort.

Belinda Behncke-Biney proved why she's the team leader on offense for the Eagles with 13 kills, while Jzima-Malaki Kalao had 36 assists, five digs and five kills. Raven King had a match-high nine digs, and Maritsann Sinclair led the up-front defense with six blocks along with seven digs.

The Eagles outblocked NSU by an 11-5 margin and hit a solid .264. NSU hit above its season average with a .136 clip and had a 7-5 edge in service aces. For one of the few times during the second half of the season, NSU did not have more digs, with NCCU holding a 36-34 advantage.

NSU built a 5-3 lead to start things off, and extended it to 12-7 on a kill by Morris before the Eagles were forced to call timeout. Back-to-back kills by junior Jasmine Frazier and Morris capped a quick 4-0 run and pushed the lead to seven at 16-9.

A service ace by Morris made it 20-12, but after the teams traded 3-0 runs, NCCU went on a 4-0 run to get to within four at 23-19. A service error on the Eagles and a kill by redshirt sophomore Paige Gary-Canty ended the first set, 25-19. Knafel had five of her kills in that first set to lead the way for the Spartans.

NSU fell behind by a 7-4 score to kick off the second set, and from there the two squads traded the next 12 serves before NSU fell behind by four at 14-10. A short time later, though, NCCU used a 5-0 run to take a 19-11 lead, but NSU won five of the next six points to creep back into the set down 20-16.

Down 24-18, Knafel threw down a kill that started a mini 4-0 rally, but still down, 24-22, NSU had its attack blocked on the final play of the set for the 25-22 margin. Like Knafel in the first set, Morris added five kills in the second set for NSU.

The Eagles hit .471 in a dominating third set that started off with NSU down 7-1. After an early timeout at that point, the Spartans continued to struggle. A 7-0 run, part of a great 10-1 run, put NCCU firmly in control, 18-4. A 4-0 run that made it 18-8 was as close as the Spartans got the rest of the way as the Eagles cruised, 25-11.

The fourth set started off in much the same fashion, this time with NSU down by a 5-1 score. A 4-1 rally, capped by a kill off the hands of Knafel, got NSU to within two at 9-7, and an attack error on Sinclair helped NSU tie the score at 13-all following an Eagle timeout.

Behncke-Biney's kill made it 18-16 Eagles, and NSU was forced to call timeout down 23-20 after being unable to string together two straight points. A kill and service ace on sophomore Charlotte Armstead – the last of her five kills in the set – kept NSU alive at 23-22, but two straight errors on the Spartans doomed them into a 25-22 fourth-set loss.

NSU will look to rebound Wednesday at home against local foe Hampton at 6 p.m. in the Spartans final home match of the season.