A&T Volleyball Looks Forward to 2018 After Encouraging 2017

Aggies Open 2018 Season in Georgia

North Carolina A&T (0-0) vs. Alabama A&M (0-0); Alabama St. (0-0); Jackson St. (0-0)

Date(s):Friday-Saturday, Aug. 24-25, 2018

Time(s):11 a.m.; 4 p.m.; 11 a.m.

Facility: LakePoint Champions Center (Cartersville, Ga.)

AGGIES OVERVIEW: The 2018 N.C. A&T women’s volleyball season gets underway this weekend as the Aggies head south for the ISTAP College Cup Tournament. N.C. A&T will face three teams from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), taking on Alabama A&M and Alabama State on Friday before facing Jackson State on Saturday.

Sophomore Edie Brewer was named preseason All-MEAC. Brewer is one of six returners on this year’s N.C. A&T squad. She is coming off a season in which she led the team with 6.0 assists and 2.15 digs per game while compiling 45 service aces ranking No. 17 in the nation in aces per set and No. 35 in total service aces. Brewer recorded 27 double-figure assist matches with nine 25-plus assist performances. She also tallied six double-figure dig matches to go along with six double-doubles in her freshman season.

N.C. A&T was picked to finish third in the preseason conference Southern Division poll with 103 points receiving four first-place votes. Those four first-place votes show a lot of confidence in the Aggies six-player N.C. A&T recruiting class consists of transfer middle blocker MakaylahElliot out of UNC Pembroke. Freshmen Lily Walton and Shaylynn Hall will join Elliot as new middle blockers to the team.

Junior defensive specialist Tiara Wilkins and freshman DS Andrea Laboy-Rivera along with freshman right-side hitter Mackenzie Richards will also look to play a significant role. But N.C. A&T’s veterans will play a major role in the Aggies quest to capture the divisional and tournament titles. Outside hitters Christa Wilson (Jr.) and Courteney Pitt (So.) are returning starters. Fatima Shabazz sat out last season but will play middle blocker this season. Senior setter Megan Wiggins, junior outside hitter Leila Haynesworth and sophomore defensive specialists KaiyahHaley and Milanna Morgan round out the returners.

ALABAMA A&M BULLDOGS: Alabama A&M returns nine letterwinners that went 14-20 and finished second in the SWAC with a 14-4 mark. The Bulldogs fell in the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament losing in straight sets to Prairie View. AAMU averaged 12.5 kills, 1.4 aces, 13.9 digs and 2.1 blocks per set a year ago posting a .223 hitting percentage. Terra Brooks led the team in attacks last season averaging 2.58 kps ranking eighth in the conference. She was also ranked seventh in the league with 30 service aces. Meredith Sieck led the SWAC averaging 8.04 assists per set and ranked fifth in the conference with 32 service aces. The Bulldogs are 5-1 all-time against the Aggies, but N.C. A&T won for the first time against Alabama A&M last August winning in straight sets.

ALABAMA STATE HORNETS: Alabama State returns nine letterwinners from last year’s team that won the SWAC regular season posting a perfect 18-0 mark in conference play with a 28-11 overall record. The Hornets captured their fourth SWAC tournament title in five years defeating Texas Southern in four sets. ASU averaged 12.5 kills, 1.4 aces, 13.9 digs and 2.1 blocks per set a year ago posting a .223 hitting percentage. Bayle’ Bennett averaged 2.35 kills and 2.20 digs as the top returner. Krysta Medearis is the second leading returner with 1.99 kps and Payten Clark is third at 1.60 kps. Clark is the top block returner with 118 and Candace Martin had 94 total blocks. The Aggies are 1-4 all-time against the Hornets losing three consecutive matches with their only victory against ASU on Sept. 6, 2013 winning in five sets.

JACKSON STATE TIGERS: Jackson State returns 11 from last season’s squad which went 8-26 and finished eighth in the SWAC with a 7-11 mark. The Tigers were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the SWAC Tournament losing to Alabama St. in four sets. JSU averaged 10.0 kills, 1.1 aces, 12.9 digs and 1.5 blocks per set a year ago, posting a .118 hitting percentage. JSU returns their leaders in kills (Alexandra Burney – 2.28 kps), digs (Tyler Moorer - 3.19 dps), assists (Sapphire Simpson – 4.66 aps), service aces (Sapphire Simpson – 26) and blocks (Dayjah Stewart – 80). The Aggies are 2-0 against the Tigers. The teams last met on Aug. 27, 2016with A&T winning in straight sets.

NEWS AND NOTES:

• Junior Christa Wilson is 27 kills away from 200 for her career and senior Megan Wiggins is six digs away from 100 for her career
• The Aggies posted their most regular season wins in 2017 under eighth-year head coach Hal Clifton enjoying one of their best seasons in recent years going 14-14 (6-4 MEAC)
• N.C. A&T finished the year ranked seventh in the nation in aces per set, 25thin opponent hitting percentage and 37thin team service aces. In all three categories, they ranked second amongst the MEAC.\

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION