Oct. 22, 2010
Box Score
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DURHAM, N.C. - It's not often that the men's and women's teams align in the fall, but the LadyCats of Bethune-Cookman volleyball started off the North Carolina Central weekend off on a good note, grabbing the tiebreaker victory over the Lady Eagles, Friday on the road. It's also a breakthrough for the team, which has been teetering on the brink of success over the last few matches, earning their first road win of the season. The LadyCats collected the win in five sets, winning the first, second, and then the tiebreaker 15-12.
The LadyCats opened strong, hitting .407 as a team, and building up a solid lead by mid-set over the Lady Eagles. Holding a three-point advantage late in the set, the LadyCats put down the kill stroke, launching an 8-2 scoring run, which included six kills for B-CU, to take the opening set win, 25-16.
In the second, the LadyCats carried over the momentum, and capitalized early on NCCU miscues to take a 7-1 lead. Looking stunned at first, NCCU showed that they still had some fight in their game, and worked their way back into the game, tying it up at 13-all. Though the Lady Eagles kept it tight, with only a two to three point difference late in the set and creating another tie at 23, the LadyCats led the entire way, clinching the 25-23 win to gain the upper hand in the match.
Coming out of the break, up 2-0, the LadyCats found some struggles of their own in hitting, with early errors turning into a 4-1 lead by NCCU. The Lady Eagles maintained their lead and kept the set just out of reach for B-CU. In the final stretch, NCCU closed it off with five consecutive points, including three straight kills to cap off the 25-20 win.
In the fourth, after NCCU jumped out early, the LadyCats tied it up and moved ahead, gaining what appeared to be a solid foothold on the momentum. However, a series of unforced errors pushed the Lady Eagles on top, where they held off a late B-CU rally to win 25-23.
Hungry for the first road win, the LadyCats jumped out early on NCCU, but they remained close. Breaking out of a 10-10 tie to register a kill in each of their next five scoring points, B-CU pulled away for the 15-12 win in the tiebreaker, and the 3-2 victory over NCCU in the set. The LadyCats split the series with NCCU, after the 3-1 loss at Moore Gym.
"This was our best offensive game, as we were consistent throughout the entire match and swung aggressively," said Head Coach Vanessa Cogswell. "Both setters did a great job with getting all of our hitters involved and our defense did an amazing job."
Leading three LadyCats in double-figures for the kill department, Jessica Wilson registered a career-high 19 kills in the victory, hitting .333. Kaiyana Johnson only found errors in two attacks to hit .381 and collect 10 kills, while Jacqueline Woodyear with 12.
"We limited our unforced errors for the most part and it truly was a team effor as the bench and the floor stayed energized and focused," noted Cogswell. "We still have to work on focusing on our blocks, and cut down on service errors. But overall, I'm very happy with the teamwork and the team's desire to win."
The LadyCats (6-20) head out on another road trip in North Carolina, facing off in a rematch with North Carolina A&T, next Friday in Greensboro. B-CU looks to keep the momentum going, after dominating NC A&T at Moore Gym, 3-0, including a 25-9 match finale.
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