PEMBROKE – Senior Cecilia Brandon led the UNC Pembroke volleyball team at the net with six kills and a trio of blocks, while junior Caroline Pridgen added five kills and a team-best four blocks, but the visiting Armstrong State Pirates took straight sets from the Braves, 3-0, in Peach Belt Conference action on Wednesday evening on Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court inside the English E. Jones Center. The set scores were 25-14, 25-15, 25-17.

UNCP (5-18, 2-9 PBC) out-blocked the Pirates (12-6, 8-2 PBC), 14-13, who snapped a two-game losing skid in league play with the win. The Pirates played with an overwhelming offense, notching 42 kills and six service aces, while hitting a combined .308 percent from the net. UNCP logged 26 kills and a .053 hitting percentage with a pair of service aces from libero Ka'asha Jefferies. 

The Braves played their best offense in the third set collecting nine kills. Setter Bailee Jones led the squad with 12 assists and was one dig shy of a double-double with nine. Jefferies added six digs, while Nicole Mathews had seven along with a trio of blocks. 

Armstrong's offense was led by the powerful hitting of Anna McGee who slammed eight kills down. Emily Wylie and Rachel Thompson contributed nine and eight kills, respectively, while Kristi Vaughn led the team with 24 assists. Libero Iva Scepanovic was behind 16 digs and defensively, the Pirates garnered 12 blocks, including one solo block from McGee.

The Braves will be back in the English E. Jones Center on Saturday when the squad plays host to Flagler (13-5, 6-3 PBC) in a 2 p.m. conference matchup.