NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State women's volleyball held off the Bulldogs of South Carolina State University in four sets at Gill Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon. The Spartans complete the weekend sweep to opening the MEAC and home slate.
Gabrielle Gilbert led NSU with 15 kills and a season-high five service aces. Shonte Seale recorded her second double-double of the weekend with 10 kills and 14 digs as well as a pair of blocks and assists. Adlene Jideofor led the Spartans with five blocks and added eight kills. Sydney McCree collected 33 assists and added for aces as well as five digs, while Fabiana Mucciola led the team with 15 digs.
NSU opened the first set with a 3-0 run as McCree served up an ace for the first point and Grace Smith put down a kill for the second. SCSU climbed back to even the score at five all and took a 7-5 lead following a pair of Spartan errors. Norfolk State rallied back to even the score at nine all and continued on opening up a 16-11 lead. Seven kills and a pair of Gilbert service aces aided in the 11-4 run. South Carolina State climbed back within two points, 18-16, however, Norfolk State closed out the set on a 7-2 run with five more kills, a Trinity Mitchell ace, and a block from McCree and Jideofor to win 25-18.
South Carolina State opened set two with the first two points, but the teams were neck and neck throughout the middle of the set tying the score seven times, last at 11-all, before the Spartans took the lead 14-11 and held that three-point lead until the Bulldogs cut the lead to one, 20-19, following an 8-6 run by SCSU. NSU pulled ahead by three, 24-21, on a pair of kills, one each from McCree and Gilbert, and a SCSU error. South Carolina State closed the gap pulling within one one more time, 24-23, after putting down back-to-back points, before Gilbert put down a big kill to claim the set for Norfolk State, 25-23.
Set three saw the Spartans open up with the first two points, a McCree ace and a Seale kill. The Bulldogs evened the score at four all and took a 6-4 lead on a Spartan attack error. The teams evened up the score four times, last at 10 all, before the Bulldogs went on an 11-1 rally that put them ahead 21-11. Norfolk State scored five more points, three on South Carolina errors, a Grace Smith kill, and Gilbert ace, but the Bulldogs lead was too large for the Spartans to overcome as SCSU took set three 25-16.
After the teams navigated through the early set back and forth, the Bulldogs carried their momentum from set three into the fourth set taking a 12-9. South Carolina led by as many as five points, 17-12, but Norfolk State got back in check and went on an 11-2 rally. Included in the rally were five kills, two McCree aces, a block and three Bulldog errors which put NSU up 23-19. South Carolina State pulled within two points, 24-22, but a bad set by the Bulldogs gave the Spartans that last point needed to win the fourth set 25-22 and the match 3-1.
Norfolk State is back in action this Friday when they travel up the Eastern Shore to take on the Hawks of Maryland Eastern Shore. The Hawks and Spartans meet in Princess Anne, MD, at 6 PM on Friday evening for NSU's first road MEAC match of the season.
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