NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk State University women's volleyball team defeated the Eagles of North Carolina Central University in straight sets in their home and MEAC opener on Friday afternoon in Gill Gymnasium. The win against the Eagles snaps a five-game losing streak and is the first time the Spartans have defeated NCCU since 2017. Both matches in the 2022 season went to five sets favoring the Eagles.
Shonte Seale led the team with 13 kills and 11 digs. Gabrielle Gilbert was close behind with 11 kills and 10 digs of her own as well as three service aces. Setter Sydney McCree put up 31 assists with two aces and two blocks. Libero Fabiana Mucciola joined Gilbert with 10 digs in the match, while Adlene Jideofor led all middle blockers with three blocks.
The match started off with Gilbert recording the first kill for the Spartans followed by an ace from McCree. The Eagles settled in and evened the score at four all and the score remained tied through the next six serves before Central took an 11-8 lead. NSU came back and evened the score at 12 all following two kills, one each from Seale and Gilbert, a Gilbert ace, and a block from Jideofor and Alexa Harris. North Carolina Central did not stay down as they roared back ahead 18-14 following a 6-2 run. The Spartans dug in their heels and fought their way back into the opening set as the only gave up one point the remainder of set one to win 25-19. Six Spartan kills, two aces, and three Eagle errors aided in the late rally to close set one.
Set two began much like set one where the teams were neck and neck within a point or two until the Spartans opened a four-point lead, 14-10, following a trio of kills from Gilbert. Central settled in after calling a timeout and went on a 9-1 rally claiming the 19-15 lead. NSU, trailing by four, started to chip away at the NCCU lead to pull within a point, 23-22, following a big block from McCree and Jideofor. Four kills from four players, Gilbert, Seale, Harris, and Jideofor, as well as some errors from the Eagles, helped the Spartans in the 7-4 run. NCCU reached set point, 24-22, on a kill but that did not stop NSU from fighting as they steamed right on through claiming the next four points to take the set 26-24.
Despite having the two-set lead, the Spartans could not relax as the Eagles remained determined to take a set from the Green and Gold. The teams were even through the middle of the third set with the score knotted at 11 all following an Eagle attacking error. That error gave way to a Norfolk State rally that saw the Spartans outscore the Eagles 14-5 to win the third set 25-16. Ten of the 14 points scored in the rally were from kills by the Spartans with an ace from Gilbert and three NCCU errors.
Norfolk State is back in action again on Sunday, Sept. 24, when they host the Bulldogs of South Carolina State in more MEAC action. The teams will converge on Gill Gymnasium with a first serve set for 1 PM.
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