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Powered by a blistering attack and a commanding presence at the net, North Carolina A&T swept archrival North Carolina Central 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-17) before an electric home crowd of 952 at Moore Gymnasium.
Tyne Ross spearheaded the Aggies’ offense with a match-high 14 kills while hitting at a torrid clip, pacing an A&T squad that improved to 5-2 overall. The Eagles dropped to 2-4 on the season after struggling to find sustained rhythm against A&T’s stout defensive front.
The opening set proved to be the tightest frame of the evening. Central traded punches early behind the steady play of Shalyn Bell and Tabitha Newlin, who tallied five kills apiece on the night. The Aggies, however, hit .306 in the frame to hold off NCCU’s push, taking the opener 25-21.
From there, the Aggies seized complete control of the tempo. In set two, A&T clamped down defensively, forcing Central into seven attack errors and an icy .000 hitting percentage. Behind the playmaking tandem of Kirsten Kemper (match-high 23 assists) and Charlie Meadoweal (12 assists), A&T steadily pulled away to claim the second set 25-17.
The Aggies saved their sharpest offensive execution for the finale, erupting for a .423 attack percentage in the third set with 13 kills against only two miscues. Zariah Winton added nine kills and an ace to complement Ross’s dominance, while Nicole Ellis chipped in five kills and a pair of blocks. A&T closed out the match on another 25-17 run to complete the clean sweep.
A&T dominated the team stat sheet, out-killing Central 40-27, holding a 40-31 advantage in digs led by Madison Mullins (10 digs, 2 aces), and maintaining a 6-0 shutout in total blocks. Luca Radnai, Daja Warren, and Ellis tallied two blocks apiece to anchor the Aggie wall at the net.
Lusiana Damuni paced the Eagles with 12 assists and an ace, while Breylan Fairley added 10 assists. Aniah Bass anchored Central’s back row with a team-high six digs.
