SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A five-setter did not turn out in North Carolina A&T's favor this time.
After winning two straight five-setters, the Aggies volleyball team lost in five at USC Upstate's G.B. Hodge Center Saturday afternoon, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 21-25, 15-10, snapping a four-match winning streak.
"Another tough five-set match today," head coach Hal Clifton said. "Unfortunately, we came up on the short end. Hats off to Upstate. They made the plays when it counted and played really good defense. We just couldn't seem to find a groove today."
Edie Brewer (6-foot, GR, setter, West Chester, Ohio) continued to impress during her fifth season in AggieLand. She posted her 12th career triple-double with 16 kills, 21 assists and 13 digs. She also posted a .308 hitting percentage with services aces and four blocks.
Brewer averaged 2.80 kills, 4.80 assists, 2.50 digs, 0.50 service aces, and 0.50 blocks with two triple-doubles in two-weekend matches. Naiya Sawtelle (6-0, FR, outside hitter, Stuart, Fla.) averaged 2.20 kills, 2.10 digs, 0.30 blocks and 0.20 service aces with two double-doubles after posting 10 kills and 11 digs against the Spartans on Saturday. She has five double-doubles on the season.
"Overall, we had a good weekend," said Clifton. "We competed hard and learned a few things about ourselves, both positive and negative. Things you can only learn while playing. We will get in the gym and fix them. We have to have a short memory as we turn around and play High Point Tuesday."
A&T looked well on its way to another five-set victory. They held an 8-6 lead thanks to a Brewer kill. The Spartans scored three straight points before Brewer answered again with another kill to tie the set at 9. After the two teams traded kills, the Spartans put the Aggies (9-5, 1-1 Big South) with back-to-back kills followed by back-to-back Aggie attack errors. USC Upstate improved to 4-10 overall and 1-1 in the Big South.
The Aggies had better luck in set No. 1. After trailing 19-16, the Aggies tied the set at 19. However, the Spartans eventually found themselves back in the lead at 23-22. Brewer then powered the Aggies with two straight kills, which was complemented by a Killy Wiedmann attack error to give the Aggies a 1-0 match lead.
In the second set, the Aggies faced set point at 24-19. But Hannah Howell (6-0, FR, OH, St. Louis Park, Minn.) came roaring back with two kills. Mallory Porcher (6-0, JR, middle blocker, Orlando, Fla.) also scored on a kill to get the Aggies to within two at 24-22. A kill from Rachael Stroot, however, put a halt to the Aggies comeback efforts.
Macenzie Richards (6-0, SR, right side, Pickerington, Ohio) helped the Aggies get to within four in the third set at 18-14 with a kill. But 4-0 Spartans run all but put the Aggies away and gave the Spartans a 2-1 match lead.
The Aggies put together a spurt of their own in set No. 4. Andrea Laboy-Rivera (5-5, SR, libero, Coamo, Puerto Rico) capped off a 5-0 Aggies run with a service to give A&T a 20-16 lead. However, the Spartans did get within two at 21-19 before Sawtelle and Richards recorded a kill apiece to put A&T ahead by four.
Richards, who had four points in the fourth set thanks to two kills, a block assist and a service ace, eventually tied the match at 2-2 with a kill, leading to another A&T five-setter.
Laboy-Rivera recorded a match-high 28 digs. Addy Warfield (5-9, JR, setter, Winter Springs, Fla.) almost had a near double-double with 19 assists and nine digs. Fatimah Shabazz (6-0, SR, right side, Cincinnati, Ohio) recorded seven kills, and Morgan Allen (5-5, SO, defensive specialist, Charlotte, N.C.) recorded a career-high 12 digs and to go along with four assists.
Porcher (6-0, JR, middle blocker, Orlando, Fla.) recorded a team-high five blocks and added seven kills with a .294 hitting percentage. Shaylynn Hall (6-1, SR, middle blocker, Raleigh, N.C.) added seven kills and four blocks, including one solo block. Howell added six kills and five digs.
Briana Strobert led the Spartans with 16 kills. Allie Hamsher recorded 30 assists and 13 digs. Mackenzie Marcum had 22 digs, and Alexis Mareko finished with eight blocks.
The Aggies play the Big South defending champs High Point Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Moore Gymnasium before returning on the road to face Radford Saturday at 2 p.m.
"I'm asking for all the Aggies out there to come out and support the team," Clifton said. "You'll have a great time."
