BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell earned a 3-0 (25-10, 25-19, 25-20) victory over N.C. Central during the Hampton Inn Holly Springs Invitational inside Gore Arena Saturday morning.
Allena Heath and
Jessica Stocking led the Fighting Camels on the attack, as both finished in double-figures for the match. Heath recorded 16 kills and 11 digs, while Stocking notched 11 kills and 10 digs for CU.
Summer Schuitema had a game-high 25 assists and
Madee Miner posted 10 assists in the third set during her intercollegiate debut.
Three newcomers –
Hannah Schneggenburger,
Alysha Mitchell and
Faith Murray – appeared in the game for the Camels. Mitchell recorded her first kill at Campbell and she also added three solo and three assisted blocks. Schneggenburger notched four kills and three blocks, while Murray added two digs.
NCCU's Da'Nesha Miller led the Eagles with a team-high six kills. Paige Phillips recorded all of N.C. Central's assists in the game (19), in addition to helping out on three blocks. Libero Bree Simmons had 20 digs for the Eagles.
NCCU played the Camels tough during the first half of the opening set, holding CU to a slim 8-6 lead. Campbell used a balanced attack to close out the first set on a 15-4 run. Heath, Schuitema, Stocking and Mitchell all tallied kills during the stretch.
A service error by NCCU and a block by Mitchell and Stocking helped close the opening frame for the Camels.
Campbell raced off to an 8-2 advantage in the second set, led by a pair of aces from
Kayla Schanback. N.C. Central closed the gap to 15-12 and kept it close throughout the second set, never trailing by more than six points. However, the lead proved to be too much for the Eagles, as CU came away with the 25-19 win following a powerful kill by Stocking.
Campbell opened up the third set looking for the sweep, but N.C. Central lead during early portion of the set. NCCU held a 10-7 advantage at the halfway point of the set following three kills by Whitney White. Campbell came storming back latter half of the frame to take a 20-19 lead. CU won five of the final six points and secured the 25-20 third set victory.
CU will conclude play in the Hampton Inn Holly Springs Invitational on Saturday night versus Tennessee Tech at 5:30 p.m. The Golden Eagles defeated N.C. Central, 3-0, on Friday afternoon to open its portion of the event.
