EAST GREENSBORO – Hal Clifton won his 100th match as North Carolina A&T's head volleyball coach, and Naiya Sawtelle (6-0, FR, outside hitter, Stuart, Fla.) recorded a match-high 15 kills as the Aggies swept their way to a 3-0 win (27-25, 25-9, 25-18) over Hampton Friday night at Moore Gymnasium.
"It's 100 wins, and so it's definitely special to me," Clifton said. "I've been here a long time and building up something special. To be where we are now from where we came from is very exciting. I'm really happy with the ladies and really proud of them tonight."
Two of Clifton's outstanding recruits had great nights. Sawtelle added five digs, three blocks, two assists, a service ace and posted a .458 hitting percentage. Edie Brewer (6-0, GR, setter, West Chester, Ohio) recorded a match-high 19 assists to go along with nine kills and nine digs. She also had a .643 hitting percentage.
Hampton tried to make Clifton wait for his milestone. Hampton (1-11, 0-5 Big South) played a spirited first set, and when Nevena Santrac scored on a kill, the Pirates took an 18-17 lead.
"Even during warmups, we told our players that Hampton was fired up," said Clifton. "They are on a losing streak, and they aren't a bad team, but they were warming up with a lot of energy and a lot of excitement. They were coming in to beat us."
A&T (11-6, 3-2 Big South) withstood Hampton's ambition, however. They scored the next four points, capped by a block assist from Shaylynn Hall (6-2, SR, middle blocker, Raleigh, N.C.) and Fatimah Shabazz (6-0, R-SR, right side, Cincinnati, Ohio). Hampton battled back to tie the set at 23 before a Gabby Calloway attack error helped the Aggies regain the lead.
Isis Black tied the set again with a kill before Sawtelle gave the Aggies the advantage at 25-24 with a kill. After Clara Smith tied the set again at 25, Brewer and Sawtelle ended the set by scoring on a kill apiece.
A&T looked dominant the rest of the way. The Aggies recorded a .370 hitting percentage in the second set and took a 24-7 lead. A&T took a 2-0 lead in the match on a Hampton attack error.
A 3-0 run helped the Aggies take over the final stanza as Sawtelle had two kills during the run to give the Aggies a 17-9 lead. Hampton could get no closer than six the rest of the way as Addy Warfield (5-9, JR, S, Winter Springs, Fla.) ended the set and match with a kill. The Aggies had a .536 hitting percentage in the third set.
The Aggies played 13 players on Friday. Nine of those players recorded at least one kill. That's not bad, considering when Clifton took over the program, he had five players total. Over the last four-plus years, Clifton has posted a 66-49 (.574) record.
"He's been here, and he built the program," said freshman outside hitter Hannah Howell about Clifton. "I'm really happy for him."
Shabazz contributed to the win with six kills, two blocks and a .278 hitting percentage. Hall recorded a match-high seven blocks, including a match-high three solo blocks to tie a career-high. She also had a .500 hitting percentage. Warfield recorded 15 assists and six digs, and Mallory Porcher (6-0, JR, middle hitter, Orlando, Fla.) recorded a match-high three service aces to tie a career-high.
Smith and Calloway led the Pirates with seven kills apiece.
