GREENSBORO – A promising first two sets could not sustain the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University volleyball team Friday night in a five-set setback (27-29, 20-25, 25-19, 25-19, 15-10) to the College of Charleston Cougars at Moore Gymnasium.
Sophomore
Zariah Winton led the Aggies with 15 kills and two total blocks while junior
Agata Zwierzynska posted 13 kills on a .321 hitting percentage. Freshman setter
Kirsten Kemper put together the fourth double-double of her young career with 30 assists and 12 digs. Despite that, the Aggies dropped their seventh straight match to move to 5-9 overall and 0-3 in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
Thirteen service errors derailed A&T. However, the Aggies showed resiliency in the first set. They trailed 23-19 thanks to a kill from Charleston's Gabby Tuiaana. The Aggies rallied to get to within one on an attack error and a kill from Winton, but the Cougars still earned set point on a Caroline Noonan kill.
A service error and an ace from Winton tied the set at 24-24 before the Aggies took a one-point advantage on a Noonan attack error. Julie Nzambele tied the match at 25-25 before a block assist from Helena Vukovic and Makena Parthen gave the Cougars set point again. A&T refused to relent. Ross secured a kill, and the Aggies took the lead on a Parthen attack error.
Charleston fought off a first-set loss with a Nzambele kill that tied the match at 27-27, but a service error and a Cougar attack error gave the Aggies a thrilling 29-27 first-set victory. In the second set, the Aggies utilized a 5-1 spurt aided by three Cougar attack errors to take a 19-15 lead. The Aggies carried that four-point lead to set point when Vukovic committed a service error, and Winton finished off Charleston with a kill for a 2-0 match lead.
Charleston took command at 14-7 in the third set, preventing an A&T rally and winning by six points to get within one in the match. The Aggies got to within two in the fourth set at 20-18 before the Cougars put together a 5-1 run to force a fifth set as a
Nicole Ellis attack error clinched the fourth-set win.
A block assist from Ellis and senior
Mikala Sampson got the Aggies to 9-8, but the Cougars finished another set strong. They outscored the Aggies 6-2, capturing set and match point on an ace from Vukovic at 14-9. Winton kept A&T alive with a kill before a Tuiaana kill kept the Cougars undefeated in CAA play at 5-0. They improved to 13-2 overall.
Tuiaana and Nzambele led the Cougars with 14 kills apiece. Jumana Martin added 26 digs. The two teams will complete the CAA weekend series at Moore Gymnasium on Saturday, with the first serve scheduled for 3 p.m.
