WS Chronicle

The North Carolina A&T volleyball team defeated rival North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in three sets (25-22, 18, 22) on Friday at Corbett Sports Center to secure its first win of the 2024 season.

The Aggies entered this year with many new players after losing several key starters to the transfer portal in the offseason. However, an eye-popping debut from freshman outside hitter Tyne Ross proved that the program still has talent.

The Aggies, away from their traditional homecourt of Moore Gymnasium, got off to a slow start. NCCU led 3-1 lead in the first set, but a kill from Ross cut the Aggies deficit to one point. After some back-and-forth play, Ross served two straight aces to give A&T its first lead, 6-5.

The Aggies pulled away, 19-14, on the back of solid defense at the net and an offense led by senior outside hitter Hannah Howell. The Eagles crept back and tied the set at 21 points, but a set-clinching kill from Ross put the first set away in favor of the Aggies.

Ross – a 6-foot freshman from Cameron, North Carolina – was all over the court for the Aggies in the opening set, showcasing her power with three kills and the ability to place the ball via a pair of aces. Equally impressive was her defense, recording two digs that kept a couple of crucial rallies alive.

A&T carried the momentum into the second set and got out to a 17-10 lead behind a highly efficient offense. Four straight points on serves from veteran defensive specialist Laurel Rogers and a sneaky setter dump from sophomore Leonor Polezzi put the Aggies within two points of winning the set. A solo block from Polezzi and yet another kill from Ross, her ninth of the game, clinched the set win.

NCCU brought renewed energy to a more competitive third set as the two teams played tug-of-war with the lead. Several booming kills from Eagles captain Emmie Modlin and outside hitter Makenzi Searcy gave their team a 20-19 advantage, but the Aggies came roaring back with three straight points to retake control.

Ross’ team-leading 15th kill of the night brought the set to match point, and an Eagles service error secured the Aggies sweep. It also marked A&T’s 12th straight win over its heated rival. Ross’s Aggie debut was a record-breaking one. She posted 15 kills, three aces, nine digs, and a block assist. There is no other Aggie in recorded history with more kills in their rookie debut than Ross. She was backed up offensively by Howell, who had 10 kills.

Howell marked her return to offensive prowess with her first double-figure kill match since notching 10 against Hampton on Sept. 24, 2023. Polezzi seemed to settle in as the team’s new starting setter with 27 assists and seven digs, while senior Maya Johnson was a force at the net with six total blocks.

“I thought the team played very well tonight,” said A&T head coach Hal Clifton. “We played really calm and stayed collected under pressure. I thought Hannah and Tyne had a really good match offensively from the pins. We did a nice job of blocking Central. I thought we did a good job from the end-line serving and kept a lot of pressure on their pass.

“All in all, it was a good opening match. We’ll see how we respond tomorrow when we are on the road.”