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PEMBROKE – Using 56 kills and 22 team blocks, the UNC Pembroke volleyball team was too much for the visiting Cobras, who were held to a mere .105 hitting percentage, to claim the 3-1 victory on Saturday evening inside the English E. Jones Center.

UNCP (7-8) extended its winning-streak in the series to three-games and also snapped its two-game losing streak, while Coker (3-6) fell in its fourth-straight contest. The set scores were 26-24, 23-25, 25-19 and 25-11.

Setter Sabrina Gonzalez posted a game-high 46 assists, while libero Ka'asha Jefferies was behind 24 digs. Both Nicole Mathews and Jada Vernon notched double-doubles with 15 kills and 22 digs, and 13 kills and 12 digs, respectively. At the net, Cecilia Brandon led the Braves with six block assists, while Gonzalez and Mallory Davis tallied five block assists as well. 

"We relaxed, and we were focused on having fun and cutting out our errors," Gonzalez said. "Our passes picked up throughout the game, which makes my job easier, and the hitters put the ball away."

The Cobras found themselves down in the opening set and hit only .083 throughout the set, but a near comeback on a four-point run was shut down due three hitting errors to give UNCP the first set. UNCP used serving by Gonzalez to hold an 18-15 lead, however, the Cobras managed an 8-1 run to take the lead and tie the sets at 1-1.

UNCP recorded its highest hitting percentage (.267) in the third set with serving by Jefferies and finished with a 25-19 win. Finally in set four, Jefferies served eight-consecutive sets to blow open the set for UNCP's largest set win of the night. Davis delivered the final point with a kill on the assist by Gonzalez.

Coker was led by Madison Bingle with 10 kills, and Christen Bragg with 30 assists.

UNCP will return to the court again on Thursday with a 7 p.m. matchup at Winston-Salem State (3-5) inside Whitaker Gymnasium.