GAME: North Carolina A&T (4-8, 2-2 CAA) at Stony Brook (5-9, 1-3 CAA)
DATE: September 30-October 1, 2023
TIME(s): 1 p.m./Noon
LOCATION: Stony Brook, NY (Pritchard Gymnasium)
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Saturday and Sunday's volleyball matches between North Carolina A&T and Stony Brook in Stony Brook, NY, will consist of the two Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) teams who fought for the eighth and final CAA tournament berth last season. The Seawolves earned the spot over the Aggies by forcing an eighth-place tie on the final day of the regular season with a come-from-behind 3-2 win at Elon. Stony Brook won the tiebreaker, forcing the Aggies to miss their first conference tournament action since 2012.
After sweeping the Hampton Pirates in two matches over the weekend, the Aggies realize how important this weekend is to their chances of returning to the postseason. Five conference wins got Stony Brook into the tournament last season, so in a challenging conference like the CAA, every opportunity to secure road wins is vital. Stony Brook's weekend included a three-set loss to College of Charleston on Saturday and a three-set win over the Cougars on Sunday.
STORYLINES:
- A&T is back on the road after playing in its home opener on Saturday. Despite the Aggies time on the road, Saturday will mark only the fifth true road match. A&T is 0-4 in those matches.
- It will be A&T's first meeting against the Seawolves. A&T volleyball will be playing its first match in New York.
- A&T head coach Hal Clifton has 122 wins in his 13 seasons with A&T, making him second all-time in program history in wins.
- It was a special weekend for the Aggies last week. They honored former player in the late Fatimah Shabazz as a part of their Brain Aneurysm Awareness match. Shabazz died from a brain aneurysm in 2021.
- The weekend was also special because star outside hitter Naiya Sawtelle became only the fourth Aggie to reach 1,000 kills for a career. She reached the milestone on Sunday in the Aggies 3-0 win over Hampton.
- She could move into third all-time in kills by the end of the weekend. She needs 17 kills to move past Brooke Stamnes for third all-time in kills in program history.
- Sawtelle's weekend led to her winning offensive player of the week from the CAA. It was her second weekly honor of the season and the eighth of her career. Sawtelle averaged 6.33 points, 5.33 kills and 2.67 per set (16 total digs) while posting a .471 hitting percentage. She added five service aces and two blocks for the weekend.
- On Saturday, Sawtelle posted 21 kills, 11 digs, five service aces and two blocks with a career-best .516 hitting percentage. It was Sawtelle's third double-double of the season and the 22nd of her career. In addition, Sawtelle reached the 20-kill mark for the 11th time in her career and just for the third time in a three-set match.
- The CAA also honored Aggies freshman Kaili Doctor. Doctor earned rookie of the week honors from the league after totaling 13 kills and only one attack error in 24 swings with a .500 hitting percentage over the weekend against the Pirates.
- Among the Aggies with more than 50 swings this season, Doctor leads the team in hitting percentage at .286. She averages 1.78 kills, 2.01 points and 0.31 blocks per set.
- Sawtelle continues to lead the CAA in kills (4.19) and points (4.88) per set. Sawtelle's lead in points per set is helped by her 0.50 aces per set, tied for fourth in the league.
- A&T is third in the CAA in aces with 1.98 per set, with sophomore Chiara Napoli ranking second in the conference at 0.55 per set after she registered a career-high seven aces against Hampton on Sunday. Napoli ranks fourth in the league in assists per set (7.98).
- The Aggies got to play all 15 players on Sunday against the Pirates. Sophomore setter Sagaia Reilly surpassed her career high in assists twice over the weekend. She had a career-best nine on Saturday and a career-best 10 on Sunday.
- Stony Brook has four key scorers in Kali Moore, Leoni Kunz, Abby Stanwood and Abby Campbell. Each averages better than 2.0 kills per set, led by Moore at 3.38. Moore had 14 kills and 15 digs with a .243 hitting percentage against Charleston as the Seawolves won their first conference match of the season.
- Kunz also had a double-double against the Cougars on Sunday with 11 kills and 15 digs. She hit .257 for the match and had two blocks. Campbell, who leads the Seawolves in blocks per set (0.95), had 10 kills and six blocks on Sunday.
- Meanwhile, Torri Henry leads the conference in assists per set (10.57). She also leads the team in aces per set (0.37) and is third in digs (2.41).
