EAST GREENSBORO – In a matchup of two volleyball teams who made the NCAA tournament this past spring, the High Point University Panthers defeated North Carolina A&T in four sets Tuesday night, 25-21, 25-18, 21-25, 25-13, in Big South Conference action at Moore Gymnasium. 

HPU improved to 11-5 overall and 3-0 in the Big South. The Aggies dropped their second straight contest, falling to 9-6 overall and 1-2 in the league. 

"They are a good team," head coach Hal Clifton said. "Their hitters are really smart with the ball. We didn't rise to the occasion early on. They had too many runs that we didn't stop. We've got to play better at a consistent level all the time to be competitive in this conference, and we didn't do that tonight."

Naiya Sawtelle (6-0, FR, outside hitter, Stuart, Fla.) led the Aggies with 12 kills and recorded eight digs and two blocks with a .281 hitting percentage. Andrea Laboy-Rivera (5-5, GR, libero, Coamo, Puerto Rico) led the team with 13 digs and three service aces. The three service aces give her 71 career aces to move into a tie for 10th place all-time in program history. 

"This team is really good, but at the same time, I know that we can do better," Laboy-Rivera said.  "There were some errors, but I think we can get better every day at practice."

The first set saw High Point try to distance themselves several times, but the Aggies fought back each time. HPU took a 14-9 lead only to see the Aggies close the gap to one at 18-17 thanks to a 3-0 run capped off by Sawtelle and Mallory Porcher (6-0, JR, middle blocker, Orlando, Fla.), combining for a block assist. 

But HPU built their lead back to four at 24-20 before Shaylynn Hall (6-1, SR, MB, Raleigh, N.C.) scored on a kill. Madison Smith ended the set with a kill from an assist by Connelly Renfrow to give HPU the 1-0 set advantage. 

Over the following two sets, the Aggies would get impressive leads. They lead 11-6 in the second before taking a 17-13 lead on an Edie Brewer (6-0, GR, setter, West Chester, Ohio) kill set up by Addy Warfield (5-9, JR, S, Winter Springs, Fla.). But the Panthers got blazing hot, scoring 12 of the next 13 points to win the set. 

In the third, A&T had a 7-2 lead, only to see HPU eventually take a 17-13 lead. But this time, the Aggies were relentless in their attack. A 6-1 spurt sparked by back-to-back block assists from Brewer and Porcher put the Aggies ahead 19-18. 

After HPU tied it a 19, a Panthers service error and another block assist from the duo of Brewer and Porcher pushed the Aggies lead to two. Natalie Gutierrez (5-2, FR, defensive specialist, Woodbridge, Va.) then came off the bench and scored on a huge service ace. The Aggies closed out the set on a Brewer kill and a block assist from Hall and Hannah Howell (6-0, FR, OH, St. Louis Park, Minn.). 

HPU jumped out to a 14-7 lead in the fourth set and was never threatened again as they clinched the win. 

Howell and Hall each recorded eight kills. Hall added four blocks with a .400 hitting percentage. Porcher recorded a match-high five blocks. Brewer and Fatimah Shabazz (6-0, SR, right side, Cincinnati, Ohio) recorded six kills apiece. Brewer added 16 assists, eight digs and three blocks. Warfield led the team with 18 assists.

Dylan Maberry led the Panthers with 16 kills, and Mackenzi Thornburg posted 16 assists.