GREENVILLE, N.C. – North Carolina A&T won its ninth consecutive match and defeated East Carolina in volleyball for the first time in almost two decades as the Aggies scored a come-from-behind, five-set win over the Pirates (20-25, 14-25, 28-26, 25-14, 17-15) at Minges Coliseum, Friday evening.
The Aggies toppled the Pirates for the first time since winning a four-set contest on Sept. 30, 2003. Friday's win was only the Aggies fourth win over the Pirates in 15 tries in school history. The Aggies had lost seven straight to the Pirates before Friday's victory.
The Aggies improved to 9-1 on the season.
"What an exciting win today for the Aggie volleyball program," head coach Hal Clifton said. "I'm proud of how the team responded after being down 2-0. They stepped up and started competing.
It was touch-and-go at the end of the fifth set, but we played four really good points to get to match point."
The Aggies did drop the first two sets before rallying to win the next two to set up the crucial determining. Set No. 5 started well for the Aggies, as they took an 8-3 lead thanks to three ECU attack errors and two kills from senior Fatimah Shabazz. ECU took a timeout with the Aggies leading 9-5 before rallying to tie the fifth set at 10, forcing an Aggies timeout.
The two teams traded blows until a Shabazz attack error put the Pirates (4-8) on the brink of victory with a 15-14 lead. Junior Shaylynn Hall kept the Aggies in the match when she took a set from senior Edie Brewer and scored on a kill to tie the fifth set at 15
A&T then took the lead on an ECU hitter Bri Wood error before sophomore Addy Warfield ended the match with a service ace.
"This team continues to grow, and they are starting to see their efforts in the gym pay off," Clifton said. "Fatimah hit well, and Shaylynn had some key kills late in the match. It was a very good team effort, and the players on the sideline kept the energy level up."
Shabazz led the Aggies with a match-high 25 kills and recorded a .467 hitting percentage. Brewer recorded a double-double with a match-high 32 assists along with 13 digs. She also added three blocks and four kills. Senior outside hitter Courteney Pitt recorded 10 kills.
Warfield recorded 16 assists, eight digs and two service aces. Hall added four blocks and seven kills with a .500 hitting percentage, and junior libero Nadia Montalbán-El Hiriche posted 14 digs and two service aces. Junior libero Andrea Laboy-Rivera led the team with 19 digs.
The Aggies, who lost a four-set match to the Pirates at home on Feb. 5, did not get off to a good start in their effort to avenge the loss. In addition to losing the first two sets on Friday, set No. 3 looked bleak as well.
ECU led 24-21 as a Pitt attack error put the Aggies one point away from having their lengthy winning streak ended. That's before sophomore Mallory Porcher scored on a kill followed by two Pitt kills to tie the set at 24.
After a Pirate point to give ECU another opportunity to win the match, Brewer and Shabazz combined for a block to tie the set at 25.
The Pirates earned match-point again on a Sydney Hall kill before junior Macenzie Richards saved the match with a kill. After Richards heroics, an ECU ball-handling error and an attack error won A&T the set and furthered the match with the Aggies trailing 2-1.
The Aggies dominated the fourth set as they shared the wealth on the offensive end. Shabazz led the way with four kills in the set, but Pitt (3), Hall (2), Richards (2) and Porcher (2) all had at least two kills in the set. Brewer recorded eight assists in the fourth set, leading to the exciting finale.
Wood led the Pirates with 15 kills and 23 digs.
The Aggies finish the regular season hosting rival North Carolina Central Sunday at 4 p.m. inside Moore Gymnasium.
