ELON, N.C. – It's over. The North Carolina A&T volleyball team ended a 14-match, 17-year drought against the Elon Phoenix with a 3-2 win (20-25, 25-18, 20-25, 15-11) at the Schar Center on Saturday.
In the process, the Aggies secured a big road win in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play. They won their second straight CAA match to improve to 6-11 overall and 4-5 in league play. Elon is 3-15 overall and 0-9 in the CAA. The last time the Aggies defeated the Phoenix came inside Corbett Sports Center on Oct. 3, 2006. The last time the Aggies beat Elon in Elon, N.C., occurred on Oct. 31, 2000.
Elon forced a fifth set by overcoming a 20-19 deficit to go on a 6-0 run to win the fourth set. In the fifth, a Kaili Doctor kill and a service ace from sophomore Chiara Napoli gave the Aggies an 11-8 lead, forcing an Elon timeout.
After the timeout, the Phoenix got to within two on a Lily Emlong kill. But an Elon service ace followed by two consecutive kills from junior Naiya Sawtelle gave the Aggies set and match point at 14-9. The Phoenix quickly cut the Aggies lead to three on an Aggies service error and an ace from Jessica Parker.
But after an Aggies timeout, juniors Madison Sanabria and Maya Johnson teamed for a block assist to end the Aggies' drought against the Phoenix.
"What an exciting day today," said A&T head coach Hal Clifton. "We got our first conference road win of the season. The conference is tough, and getting a win on the road is hard."
Sawtelle had her second straight 20-plus kill performance with 23 kills on 53 swings for a .321 hitting percentage. Sawtelle added 13 digs for her seventh double-double of the season and the 26th of her career.
Napoli recorded 36 assists, 14 digs, five aces, four kills and one block. It was her fifth straight double-double and her ninth of the season. She has 16 career double-doubles. Meanwhile, Sanabria had a career-high nine blocks, including three solos. Reigning CAA freshman of the week, Kaili Doctor added 15 kills.
Elon grabbed the first set by grabbing a 23-18 lead aided by a 4-0 run. Lila Barker put the Aggies away with a kill.
The Aggies battled back by taking the second set with six unanswered points ignited by a Doctor kill. A&T led 19-18 when Doctor's kill was followed by Liselotte Spoormakers and Sanabria combining for a block assist to give the Aggies a 22-18 advantage. After a Syndey Love attack error, Sanabria blocked a Keira Kasten attack before she combined with Spoormakers again for a block assist to give the Aggies the set. Sanabria led the Aggies in the second set with four blocks. Sawtelle had five kills and no attack errors in the set and added six digs.
A 4-0 spurt in the third set capped by a Spoormakers kill gave the Aggies a 21-17 lead. Elon never got any closer than four the rest of the way as Sawtelle gave the Aggies a 2-1 match lead with a kill before Elon could win the fourth set to force the fifth and deciding set.
"I'm really proud of how the ladies fought today. We had our backs to the wall a few times, but we battled back against a good Elon team," said Clifton. "We made a few adjustments here and there, and they worked in our favor. I'm so happy for the ladies."
