Women's Volleyball | 9/24/2021 9:14:00 AM

N.C. A&T at UNC Asheville
Friday, Sept. 24, 6 p.m.

N.C. A&T at USC Upstate
Saturday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m.

A&T Team Leaders
Kills: Niaya Sawtelle (3.13 per set)
Digs: Andrea Laboy-Rivera (3.04 per set)
Assists: Edie Brewer (5.20 per set)
Blocks: Shaylynn Hall (1.24 per set)
Hitting Percentage: Mallory Porcher (.375) 

A&T Big South Leaders (Top-10)  
Kills: Niaya Sawtelle (3.13 per set) – 4th
Assists: Edie Brewer (5.20 per set) – 8th
Blocks: Shaylynn Hall (1.24 per set) – 1st; Mallory Porcher (1.03 per set) – 2nd
Hitting Percentage: Shaylynn Hall (.370) – 4th

A&T Nationally Leaders (Top-50) 
Blocks: Shaylynn Hall (56) – 17th

NORTH CAROLINA A&T AGGIES (8-4, 0-0 Big South): The Aggies claimed first place at the Virginia Tech Hokie Invite last weekend by going 3-0. The weekend included the Aggies upsetting Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. After tailing the match 2-0, the Aggies rallied to win 3-2, earning their first-ever win over a Power Five opponent. Tournament officials named Edie Brewer the tournament's MVP on Saturday. 

Two days later, the Big South Conference named her its player of the week after she averaged 5.57 assists, 2.50 kills, 2.14 digs, 0.50 blocks and 0.21 service aces for the tournament. 

Brewer's weekly honor marked the Aggies second weekly accolade from the Big South this season, following Niaya Sawtelle's freshman of the week honor. Fatimah Shabazz and Sawtelle joined Brewer on the all-tournament team. 

  Head coach Hal Clifton is three wins away from his 100th career win. Over the last four seasons, the Aggies have posted a 55-43 (.561) overall record and a 34-8 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) record. A&T has finished .500 or better every season since 2017. 

UNC ASHEVILLE BULLDOGS (2-7, 0-0 Big South): UNCA was swept in both matches last weekend at the Big Orange Bash with losses to host Clemson and East Tennessee State. Peyton McClinton leads the Bulldogs with 3.15 kills per set. Their assist leader is Grace Volk (7.33), and Anna Skryd leads the team in digs per set (3.57). Nina Finderle averages 0.76 blocks per set.   

Frederico Santos is in his 11th season as the head coach. Santos has posted a 131-153 overall record and a 72-76 mark in the Big South. 

USC UPSTATE SPARTANS (3-9, 0-0 Big South): The Spartans will play High Point University on Friday before hosting the Aggies. The Spartans went 1-2 last weekend at the Georgia Southern GATA Challenge. Kelly Wiedemann leads the Spartans with 2.76 kills per set. Allie Hamsher averages 6.00 assists per set, and Mackenzie Marcum is averaging 3.32 digs. Alexis Mareko leads the team in blocks per set (1.07). 

Ronda Shirley is in her third season. In her first season, the Spartans went 8-19 in her first season and 7-7 last season.                                                 

THE SERIES: UNCA holds a 15-2 advantage over the Aggies and has won the last five meetings. The two schools faced each other in 2019, where the Bulldogs came away with a 3-1 win. USC Upstate has won all four meetings against the Aggies, with the last matchup occurring in 2019, where the Spartans won 3-1 in Corbett Sports Center. 

CAREER NOTES

• Edie Brewer has 790 kills. She needs 39 to move into seventh place past Aleena McDaniel (829, 2012-15). Brewer has 180 block assists and needs nine more to move into seventh ahead of Mara Davis (188, 1996-99). Brewer's 151 service aces are third all-time. She needs 35 to move into second past Brenden Chatman (185, 2004-07). In the digs category, Brewer has 887 and needs 51 more to move into fifth place past Brooke Stamnes (937, 2012-15). 
• Shaylynn Hall ranks sixth all-time in block assists (189). She is 11 block assists shy of becoming just the fifth player in school history to record 200 for a career. Hall has 37 solo blocks and needs eight to move into sixth place ahead of Jamie Lindor (44, 2014-17).            
• Addy Warfield needs 117 assists to become the ninth player in school history to record 1,000 for a career.
• Andrea Laboy-Rivera needs six service aces to move into 10th place on the Aggies all-time list with 72. She has 1,204 digs and needs 251 to move into second past Lauren Walker (1,454, 2004-06).