NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk State women's volleyball team is back in action this weekend as the team is home for the first time this regular season. The Spartans will also kick off their 2023 MEAC schedule as well.
Making their way to Norfolk, Va., first are the Eagles from North Carolina Central University. The Eagles and Spartans square off at 4 PM on Friday, Sept. 22, in Gill Gymnasium. Just two days later, Norfolk State will host South Carolina State University for a Sunday matinee with first serve scheduled for 1 PM.
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Matches 8-9: Home & MEAC Opener
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Coverage
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Sept. 22 | vs. N.C. Central | 4:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch (HBCU+)
Sept. 24 | vs. S.C. State |1:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch (HBCU+)
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Venue
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Gill Gymnasium (All 2023 volleyball regular-season matches are free of charge to the public. Seating is first come, first served.)
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Social Media
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Twitter | Instagram | #GoldStandard #Behold #AllIn
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Norfolk State Notes
The Spartans enter the weekend after going 0-2 at the 2023 Jefferson Cup Invitational but not before taking a set away from the Revolutionaries from George Washington University on Saturday, Sept. 16. In the first day of action, the hosting Cavaliers of UVA defeated NSU in three sets.
Continuing to make waves, rookie Gabrielle Gilbert was again named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Rookie of the Week for her performance on the court. The Indianapolis, Indiana native tallied a total of 24 kills over the weekend, 12 each in the two matches versus the University of Virginia and George Washington University.
Gilbert continues to lead the team in attacks with 82 kills on the season with senior Shonte Seale not far behind at 78. Sophomore Sydney McCree has collected 202 assists in just seven matches so far this season for the Spartans. She also sits second on the team in digs with 55.
Amidist the MEAC stats rankings, Gilbert (3.12), Seale (3.00), and Alexa Harris (2.64) all sit in the top ten of kills per set coming in at fourth, sixth, and ninth respectively. Gilbert and Seale also sit fifth and seventh in points per set at 3.42 and 3.17. Libero Fabiana Mucciola is eighth in the MEAC stats rankings in digs per set with 2.85 per set with a total of 74 on the season. Setter Sydney McCree is third among assists per set in the conference putting up 7.77 assists per set.
North Carolina Central Notes
North Carolina Central is riding a six-game losing streak heading into Friday night's match up. The Eagles lone win of the season came in five sets against the Runnin' Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb University back on Sept. 1.
South Carolina State Notes
The Bulldogs enter the weekend series against the Spartans searching for their first win of the season coming in with a record of 0-13. Throughout the course of the season to date, SCSU has been outnumbered in the stats columns as their opponents have put down 532 kills while SCSU has only recorded 288. Similarly, the assist numbers are skewed in the direction of the Bulldogs opponents at 468 to 266, while services aces are heavily favored in their opponent's direction at 114 to 29.
SCSU is led by Eleisha Thompson on attack with 74 kills. Kiyah Felder, Hailey Harris, and McKinley Roach are the next three closest with 46, 43, and 40 kills respectively. South Carolina State runs primarily a one setter system with Kaia Barnett shouldering the responsibility. On the defensive side of the ball Trinity Stevenson and Miya Benson lead the way with 96 and 81 digs respectively. Barnett is not far behind with 74 digs of her own this season.
