Bison outlast North Carolina A&T State
WASHINGTON (October 27, 2019) – Howard University women’s volleyball team topped North Carolina A&T State (NCAT) in a five-set thriller (25-23, 25-21, 17-25, 20-25, 15-5) to become the only remaining undefeated squad in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play.
With the victory, HU improved to 12-11 (9-0 MEAC) while the Aggies dropped to 11-13 (9-1 MEAC) on the season.
Howard wins another 5 set match this weekend. Thank YOU all for your support we’ll see back in Burr November 8th at 6 p.m. pic.twitter.com/yjkFOlLYMo
— Howard Volleyball (@HUBisonVB) October 28, 2019
Freshman Tamar Wells (Apopka, Fla.) led the Bison attack with a match-best 15 kills. Senior Kira Porter (Lake Tahoe, Nev.) added 12 kills, four digs, three service aces and a pair of blocks (one solo) in the win.
Both squads were deadlocked at 23 in the opening set, but a pair of hitting errors from the Aggies would give HU a 1-0 match lead.
Set two saw the Bison eclipse a .300 hitting percentage, led by junior Myca Mitchell (Clovis, Calif.) with a .833 hitting percentage and five kills. NCAT tied the contest at 18, but Howard would regain the momentum and take a commanding 2-0 match lead.
Howard struggled games three and four, committing 26 hitting errors (23 attack and three service), which allowed North Carolina A&T State back into the match to force a fifth and deciding set.
In game five, the Bison dominated from start to finish. Howard scored the first seven points in set five while registering a .889 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Kayla Diaz (Nanuet, N.Y.) delivered the match-winning service ace to keep HU unbeaten in league play.
Diaz and fellow classmate Semira Blair (Fort Worth, Texas) combined for 23 assists while, defensively, third-year libero Fola Wilson produced a team-high 18 digs in the victory.
One of the quiet stories in athletics is that this is the peak in the volleyball era at A&T. While we’ve had LEGENDARY talent, we could never quite get over the hump, especially with powerful teams like FAMU and Howard. A win here would be HUGE. https://t.co/16ONuULUfQ
— T. Ball (@taball1) October 27, 2019
For NCAT, Edie Brewer recorded a triple-double (23 assists, 19 digs and 13 kills) in the loss.
Next weekend, Howard goes to Baltimore for a pair of rematches.
Friday (Nov. 1), HU takes on Morgan State at 6 p.m., followed by a short trip to Coppin State (Sunday). Match time is slated for 1 p.m.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.
Volleyball Box Score
N.C. A&T State vs Howard (Oct 27, 2019 at Washington, D.C.)
(Story and Information Courtesy of Howard Athletics )