PEMBROKE – Junior Nicole Mathews led the visiting UNC Pembroke volleyball team with a team-best 10 kills and four service aces, while the team hit an astounding .314 from the net en route to defeating Winston-Salem State, 3-0, on Thursday evening with set scores of 25-13, 25-23 and 25-15.

The victory extended UNCP's (8-8) winning streak to two games and gave the Braves a .500 overall record. The Black and Gold also captured its 10-straight win in the series with the Rams (4-6).

The Braves out-hit the Rams 34-26 as Sabrina Gonzalez posted six kills and 24 assists, while Caroline Pridgen and Cecilia Brandon each logged five kills. Freshman Jada Vernon captured a match-high 10 digs as the Black and Gold tallied 27 digs compared to Winston-Salem State's 20. 

UNCP finished the game with eight service aces and held the Rams to a mere .063 hitting percentage, while UNCP claimed higher hitting percentages than the Rams in all three sets including a .381 hitting percentage in the final set.

In the first set, UNCP broke open the lead with serving by Josephine Yang and multiple hitting errors by the Rams. Six-consecutive by Vernon, as well as a kill by Mathews put the Braves up 1-0. Winston-Salem State used a late comeback in the second set, but UNCP halted the effort on a kill by Vernon. Finally in the third set, UNCP closed out the game on a 13-3 run following a tied score at 12-12 for the shutout victory.

The Braves will close out the month of September on Saturday with a 2 p.m. contest against Francis Marion (3-8, 1-2 PBC) in Florence, S.C.