- The Aggies are off to a 2-0 start for the third straight season.
- A&T head coach Hal Clifton is three wins from becoming A&T volleyball's all-time winningest coach, passing Kathy Bullock for the honor.
- Freshman setter Kirsten Kemper has posted a double-double in each of her first two collegiate matches.
- The Aggies will play Charlotte Invitational host, the Charlotte 49ers, on Sunday at 1 p.m.
- at Halton Arena.
CHARLOTTE – The North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University volleyball team is 2-0 in the young 2026 season after defeating the Bryant Bulldogs in four hard-fought sets (25-23, 21-25, 25-22, 25-21) Saturday afternoon at Halton Arena during the second day of the Charlotte Invitational hosted by Charlotte.
Junior
Agata Zwierzynska had a terrific day, posting 17.5 points with 12 kills, three service aces, and four total blocks. Junior
Tyne Ross added 15 kills and three total blocks. Freshman
Kirsten Kemper added 27 assists and 13 digs. Bryant's Layla Olatunde led the Bulldogs with 12 kills.
I thought we put together a pretty good match today," said A&T head coach Hal Clifton, who secured career win No. 160 on Saturday. "I'm really pleased with our energy starting the match. We weathered some storms, but we were able to work our way into the sunshine. There are some things we definitely need to do better, and as the season comes along, I think we will be able to get it ironed out. But happy with how we competed and fortunate to come away with the win."
A&T got off to a better start than on Friday against Appalachian, when the Aggies lost the first set by 11 points. On Saturday, after the Aggies lost a challenge that tied the first set 22-22 on a Kaitlin Curran kill, Zwierzynska gave the Aggies the lead for good with a kill. An ace from junior Luci Radnai followed to give the Aggies set point. After Curran scored again on another kill, a block assist from Zwierzynska and sophomore
Nicole Ellis gave the Aggies a 1-0 lead.
Bryant recovered to win the second set, setting up a pivotal third set for both teams. The Aggies took control of that set when Bryant's Luiza Bergamaschi committed a service error to give the Aggies a 23-20 advantage. Ross gave the Aggies set point at 24-21 on a kill, and senior Mikayla Sampson gave the Aggies a 2-1 advantage in the match with a kill off an assist from junior
Charlie Meadoweal.
A 4-0 run in the fourth set put the Aggies in position to win the match. The spurt, capped by an ace from senior
Valeria Estrada, gave A&T a 24-20 lead. Ross finished off the Bulldogs (0-2) with a kill. A&T was excellent over the final two sets, putting together a combined .339 hitting percentage.
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