Women's Volleyball | 8/23/2025 6:12:00 PM
Approximately seven minutes before the North Carolina A&T volleyball team entered Moore Gymnasium through the customary back left door of the gym to do battle against Norfolk State in an exhibition match, their pre-match huddle behind that door was full of energy, with every player jumping around.
They carried this spark all the way through a 3-0 (25-13, 25-16, 28-26) victory on Saturday. It was a good tune-up for a season that begins for the Aggies on Friday, August 29 at 6 p.m., inside Corbett Sports Center against Bethune-Cookman.
After A&T won the first two sets by wide margins, the Spartans came close to claiming the third. The atmosphere in the gym buzzed with excitement despite Norfolk trailing by two sets. The Spartans forced 12 ties and five lead changes as they possessed the lead for most of the set.
They took a 10-6 lead. However, from that point, the Aggies' determination started to take over, leading them to tie the match at 17 after a speedy top-spin serve by freshman right side hitter
Cam Scott. A&T ended up right on the brink of sealing the deal with a 24-22 lead, but a couple of crucial errors allowed Norfolk to slip in and tie the game at 24.
Everyone watched on the edge of their seats as Spartans outside hitter Gabrielle Gilbert sent a kill cross-court to put the Spartans one point away from forcing a fourth set. However, Aggies freshman outside
Zariah Winton responded with a kill of her own to tie the set at 25.
Gilbert gave the Spartans the lead again with another kill and tried to land one more after her attack error tied the set at 26. But
Lili Radnai got in her way with a dig. Her kill later in the sequence gave the Aggies a 27-26 lead. It was Scott who secured the A&T win with a dominant block that had everyone on their feet before the ball hit the floor.
"I was really proud of how they responded," said A&T head coach
Hal Clifton, whose Aggies are predicted to finish fourth in the CAA in 2025. "They never panicked. We just had to focus on what's the next thing we need to do, and they held on, so that was nice to see."
CAA Preseason Player of the Year
Tyne Ross led the Aggies with 12 kills and three aces.
The first set started competitively with the two HBCUs exchanging points up until sophomore outside hitter
Lili Radnai tipped the ball over the Norfolk blockers, where the coverage couldn't save it. Her twin sister,
Luca Radnai, followed that play with another tip over the middle blocker, giving the Aggies an 11-8 lead. The Aggies forced a Spartan timeout after A&T junior
Leonor Polezzi's serve sailed off the forearms of Isis Castille and out of bounds to give the Aggies a 15-11 advantage.
"We were just talking about staying steady," said Clifton, the 2024 CAA Coach of the Year when asked about the message of the timeout. "It's a lot of nerves, a lot of excitement. You have to control your heart rate, your adrenaline, and I thought we settled down pretty well."
Out of the timeout, A&T gained offensive momentum, outscoring the Spartans 10-2 to win the first set.
The Aggies took command of the second set after a
Charlie Meadoweal service ace gave A&T a 10-6 lead. Ross added four kills, and
Luca Radnai had an impressive kill at the Norfolk 10-foot following Meadoweal's ace to give the Aggies a 20-11 advantage, forcing a Norfolk timeout.
After the timeout, the Spartans could not eat into A&T's lead, as an attack error from Castille clinched the second set for A&T.
A&T's match on Friday against Bethune-Cookman will be a part of the Aggie/Phoenix Invitational. After facing the Wildcats, the Aggies will play Coppin State on Saturday, August 30, at 6 p.m., from Corbett.
