ELIZABETH CITY – For the second time this season the UNC Pembroke volleyball team turned back Elizabeth City State in three sets, as the Lady Braves defeated the Lady Vikings, 25-18, 25-16 and 25-12 on Wednesday afternoon at the RL Vaughan Center.
UNCP (13-17) relied on a powerful attack, outhitting the Lady Vikings (10-11), 43-22. UNCP's attack was led by Morgan Westphal and Sabrina Gonzalez who both turned in double-digit hitting performances. Westphal led all hitters with 12 kills and a .393 hitting percentage, while Gonzalez tallied 11 kills. Shekinah-Joy Toloumu dished out 33 assists, and Caroline Pridgen tallied two solo blocks for the Black and Gold.
Kelsey Smith paced the Elizabeth City offense with nine kills, as Alicia Reynolds chipped in another seven kills. Defensively, Emmesha White and Grace Barrett notched eight digs apiece.
"We started off a little slow, but we picked it up in sets two and three. Our serving and attaching were both great day. We were able to cut down on our hitting errors and that made a huge difference for us," said UNPC head coach Angie Byrd.
The opening frame remained close for the majority of the set, but with the score tied at 15-15, Danielle Brown sparked an offensive surge for the Black and Gold going on a 4-0 run. UNCP carried the momentum through the remainder of the set, forcing four attack errors from the Lady Vikings to close out set one.
UNCP dominated the second set, as Marissa Baker and Toloumu combined to help the Lady Braves take an early 10-1 advantage over Elizabeth City. The Lady Braves never let up, leading by as much as 11 at 21-10. A kill from Baker earned set point, giving the Black and Gold a 2-0 advantage going into the third set. UNCP hit .405 in the second set, finishing with 17 kills and just two attack errors.
Pridgen went on a seven-point serving run that saw three-consecutive kills from Baker to put UNCP up 14-5 in the third stanza. Gonzalez finished the match for the Black and Gold with a service ace.
The Lady Braves are back in action tonight as they travel to Ettrick Va., for a 7 p.m. contest with Virginia State (13-7) inside of the Daniel Gym.
