EAST GREENSBORO – The North Carolina A&T volleyball team worked on blocking technique this week, and the results were noticeable Tuesday night. The Aggies finished their three-game homestand with a 2-1 record with a 3-0 win over Presbyterian College (25-17, 19, 20) at Moore Gymnasium in Big South Conference play. 

A&T (12-7, 4-3 Big South) recorded its second sweep in three matches with the win. PC (8-9, 3-4 Big South) dropped below .500 overall and in conference play.  

"We stayed steady, and we stayed consistent," head coach Hal Clifton said. "We found a couple of things that worked for us, and we went with them, and we got the 3-0 win. Our girls were doing a really nice job in practice this week trying to fix some techniques with blocking. The more they get comfortable with the new technique, and they see the results will come, I think they are going to continue to do some of that."

The Aggies recorded 13.0 blocks, including 7.0 blocks in the first set. Three Aggies recorded at least six blocks.  

Mallory Porcher (6-0, JR, middle hitter, Orlando, Fla.) led the way with seven blocks to go along with seven kills. Edie Brewer (6-0, GR, setter, West Chester, Ohio) and Shaylynn Hall (6-2, SR, middle hitter, Raleigh, N.C.) recorded six blocks apiece. Brewer added 22 assists, five kills and nine digs. 

"I came in really focused today," said Porcher. "I took my time over the fall break to focus on film and what the other team is doing. I was really prepared for this team."

A Porcher attack error got PC to within one in the first set at 15-14. However, the Aggies took over from there. A&T scored the next five points, including two service aces from Montalban El-Hirichie (5-6, SR, defensive specialist, Granada, Spain), as the Aggies took a 20-14 lead. Leading 23-17, the Aggies closed out the set with a kill from Brewer and a kill from Fatimah Shabazz (6-0, SR, right side, Cincinnati, Ohio). 

The Aggies breakthrough in the second set occurred after the Blue Hose's Erin Cooke scored on a kill to cut the Aggies lead to 14-13. A 6-1 spurt, however, gave the Aggies a 20-14 advantage. Porcher had two kills during the spurt. 

PC did score the next two points, but that is as close as the Blue Hose would get. The Aggies earned set point on a Hannah Howell (6-0, FR, outside hitter, St. Louis Park, Minn.) kill. Shabazz ended the set with a kill. 

Allie Wright tied the third set at 15 for the Blue Hose in the third set. Back-to-back kills from Porcher gave the Aggies a two-point advantage. A&T never relinquished the lead again, but PC kept it close. A Shaylynn Hall attack error helped the Blue Hose get to within two at 20-18. 

But back-to-back kills from Shabazz gave the Aggies a cushion at 22-18. Then, the Aggies earned set and match point at 24-20 on a Porcher kill. Brewer ended the night with a kill as the Aggies improved to 4-4 at home.

Andrea Laboy-Rivera (5-5, SR, libero, Coamo, Puerto Rico) led the team with a match-high 17 digs. Howell added 11 digs and six kills and Naiya Sawtelle (6-0, FR, outside hitter, Stuart, Fla.) added 12 digs and seven kills. Shabazz led the Aggies with a match-high 12 kills to go along with four blocks.

Addy Warfield (5-9, JR, setter, Winter Springs, Fla.) added 11 assists and four digs.         

Rylee Moorhead led PC with nine kills, and Sierra Jones added five assists. Moorhead and Anne Hewitt led the way with 12 digs each.