CLEMSON, S.C. – North Carolina A&T volleyball began the 2021 season with a 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-22, 25-15) win over Samford Friday afternoon at Jervey Gym.
The Aggies had three players record double-doubles against Samford, an NCAA participant in the spring.
"We put together a really solid match today and earned our first victory of the season," N.C. A&T coach Hal Clifton said. "I thought we played hard, had good effort and supported each other. Samford is a solid team and is coached well. We were able to get on some mini runs to stretch the lead. I'm really proud of our team effort today."
The last season-opening win for the Aggies was in 2018, when they defeated Alabama A&M in four.
Both setters recorded double-doubles as Edie Brewer (6-foot, GR, setter, West Chester, Ohio) finished with a team-high 24 assists and 10 digs to go along with five kills, four block assists and two service aces. Addy Warfield (5-9, JR, setter, Winter Springs, Fla.) added 23 assists and 10 digs, and Naiya Sawtelle's (6-0, FR, outside hitter, Stuart, Fla.) double-double included 14 kills and 10 digs to go along with four block assists and three aces.
Fatimah Shabazz (6-0, SR, right side, Cincinnati, Ohio) posted nine kills with a .444 hitting percentage. Courteney Pitt (6-1, GR, outside hitter, Farmville, N.C.) had eight kills and Shaylynn Hall (6-1, SR, middle blocker, Raleigh, N.C.) ended the match with six kills, five blocks and a .455 hitting percentage.
"I think the game went really well, and we definitely showed what Aggie volleyball is about," said junior Mallory Porcher said. "We didn't let up, and everyone from the court to the bench was locked in. We said we were going to execute in the last set, and that's what we did."
A&T's executed very well in the fourth set. An 11-1 Aggies run that included two block assists and a kill from Porcher and three block assists and two kills from Brewer highlighted the fourth set. Samford called two timeouts during the run. After the second timeout, the Bulldogs ran off two straight points to cut A&T's lead to 16-11. But A&T put the set and match away by scoring four consecutive points that included two Brewer aces.
With the Aggies leading 24-15, Pitt ended the night with a kill with an assist from Brewer.
The Aggies took the first set as Sawtelle and Hall combined for a block assist to give A&T a 24-22 lead. An Aggies attack error brought the Bulldogs to within one before Hall gave the Aggies a 1-0 lead with a kill.
After Hall tied the second set at 20 with a kill, Samford scored three straight to take a 23-20 lead. The Bulldogs maintained their advantage and took the second set when Sarah Hayes Farley scored on a kill.
Samford held a 14-11 lead in the third before a 4-0 spurt ignited by a Shabazz block assist and kill gave the Aggies the lead. The two teams battled to a 21-21 tie before Sawtelle slammed down a kill and a ball-handling error from Samford's Kayla Keshock put the Aggies ahead 23-21. A kill from the Bulldogs cut the lead to one, but a kill apiece from Porcher and Hannah Howell (6-0, FR, OH, St. Louis Park, Minn.) gave the Aggies a 2-1 lead going into the fourth.
Kenya McQuirter led the Bulldogs with 21 kills. Keshock added 35 assists, and Emily Naubert contributed with 13 digs. The Aggies close out the Clemson Invitational against the host Tigers at 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 28.
