Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – Looking to move up in the MEAC South Division from last year's fourth-place finish, the Norfolk State volleyball team knew that path would eventually lead through schools such as South Carolina State and Bethune-Cookman.

The first, rather difficult test came Wednesday, and the Spartans passed with flying colors in a 3-0 win over South Carolina State at Joseph Echols Hall.

The win, NSU's third in a row, improved the team's record to 8-14 overall and 2-1 in the MEAC. The Bulldogs fell to 6-18, 1-2.

The Spartans won the first set, 25-19, and nearly lost their grip in the second set before a big comeback late led to a 27-25 win. NSU finished off the Bulldogs with a 25-19 win in the third set.

Sophomore Charlotte Armstead led the team with eight kills and was one of five players with at least five kills on the night. Freshman Arielle Knafel added six kills and eight digs, while rookie Noelle Eagles led all players with 14 digs. Junior Nicole Kessner has a solid match as well with 24 assists, seven digs and five kills.

The Bulldogs, who boasted several big hitters, were led by Jarne Gleaton with 11 kills and six digs and Shabree Robertson with eight kills. Bria Brimmer had 23 assists, while Elizabeth Webb and Melissa Robinson each had 10 digs.

A sloppy game on serve – the teams combined for 26 service errors – overshadowed a solid outing at the net for the Spartans. NSU attacked at a .162 clip with 35 kills, while the Bulldogs had 27 kills as well as 21 errors and hit .064. The Spartans also compiled more digs (42-35) and service aces (8-3), while the Bulldogs had a slight edge in blocks, 7-6.

Tied 3-3 at the start of the first set, a 4-0 run, capped by a Kessner service ace, then gave NSU a 7-3 lead. A kill by Gleaton on the next play made it 7-4, but that was as close as the Bulldogs got in that first set as NSU continued to roll from there.

A service ace by sophomore Ellica Morris that skimmed over the top of the net stretched the lead to six at 10-4, and after S.C. State cut the lead to four at 15-11, back-to-back kills by Kessner and junior Jasmine Frazier forced a Bulldog timeout at 17-11. NSU scored the next three points as well for a 20-11 lead, and although S.C. State scored five of the next six points, the deficit proved too insurmountable as a service ace by sophomore Kristen Burt eventually ended the set, 25-19.

A service ace by Armstead gave the Spartans a 4-2 lead to start the second set, but S.C. State matched NSU point-for-point, as back-to-back kills by Gleaton tied the score at 11-11 and had NSU calling for time.  The Bulldogs kept battling and then took a one-point lead at 15-14 and then again at 17-16.

Two serves later, S.C. State began a 5-0 run that put NSU's backs against the wall down 22-17. A kill by Frazier sparked a 4-0 run, helped out by three straight attack errors on the Bulldogs, but Armstead saved the set with a kill to make it 24-24. A service error on S.C. State saved the set for NSU again at 25-25, and a service ace by Armstead and a kill by Morris gave the Spartans a huge momentum swing and a 27-25 second-set win.

NSU took that momentum and grabbed a 5-3 lead to start the third set, and after redshirt sophomore Paige Gary-Canty gave the Spartans an 8-6 lead, the Bulldogs called timeout at that point and then burned their second timeout of the set when Kessner's kill got the lead to four at 12-8.

The Bulldogs finally strung together two straight points when an NSU attack error, part of a 4-1 run for the S.C. State, made it 20-15 Spartans. As was the case throughout the match for both teams, a service error killed momentum as that unforced mistake on the Bulldogs got the lead back to five at 22-17.

After a called timeout up 23-19, Knafel put NSU on her back and ended all S.C. hopes with back-to-back kills for the 25-19 win.

NSU continues its homestand and will look to continue the momentum as the Spartans host Bethune-Cookman Sunday at 3 p.m. at Echols Hall.