Charles GreenN.C. Central fell short in two road volleyball matches this past weekend, losing 3-2 to Morgan State and 3-1 to Coppin State, slipping to sixth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 1-3 conference record and 4-12 overall.
Kamren Harper led the team in kills across both matches while posting a season high 23 kills against Morgan State, while Manuala Cripa Nasser dished 43 assists. Harper also had a team-high 15 kills against Coppin State, with Allyson Rouse adding 8 kills of her own.
The Eagles won the first two sets against Morgan State, but the Bears were able to take a close 25-22 third set, causing a shift in the momentum. Morgan State’s improved hitting percentage in the last three sets allowed them to take the victory over N.C. Central. This was the team’s third consecutive five-set match in conference play.
Coppin State, also known as the Eagles, proved to be a tougher challenge coming into the matchup undefeated in conference play. NCCU was only able to score more than 20 points in a close back-and-forth third set, but the momentum was not able to carry over into the fourth set. N.C. Central is now 0-8 against Coppin State since Oct. 2021.
The Eagles return to the nest this weekend to host Howard on Friday and Norfolk State on Sunday.
Men’s and Women’s Tennis
Valeria San Miguel Soria and Sara Barbaric represented the women’s Eagles tennis team in capturing the MEAC Invitational Championship in doubles. The final was an all-Eagles showcase as the champions won 6-3, 6-2 against fellow teammates Alejandra Hidalgo Vega and Mariana Zottoli.
The Eagles men’s team was represented by Rodrigo Alves and Tim Kohl in the doubles final against South Carolina State’s Mikalai Bankou and Bastian Zamora, finishing as runner-up after losing 6-2, 6-2.
San Miguel Soria and Barbaric secured an automatic spot at the ITA Conference Masters in San Diego, on Nov. 6-9.
Cross Country
The women’s team captured the 5k HBCU Challenge title for the first time ever in an 11-team race at the Cedric Walker HBCU XC Challenge. It’s the first championship under Interim Director Fabrienne Swepson. The men’s team finished as runner-up behind Fayetteville State in an 8k 10-team race, falling short of winning their second straight HBCU title.
Overall, seven Eagles won individual rewards after finishing in the top 20 for their respective races.
For the women’s top 20, Alitza Dennard placed sixth, leading the Eagles with Kayla Johnson right behind for seventh place, while Laila Jackson and Navi McDowell finished 13th and 14th, respectively.
Ryan Chong, Emmanuel Paddyfote, and Avan Hinkle represented the men with seventh, ninth, and 14th place finishes, respectively.
The Eagles’ last regular-season meet starts at 3:30 p.m. on Friday at the Royals Challenge in Charlotte, N.C.
Football
The Eagles were off this past weekend following a 50-42 away victory over East Texas A&M on Sept. 27.
The high-scoring Eagle offense had their straight game with at least 49 points. Walker Harris threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns, now having thrown over 1,000 yards in his last three games. Wide receiver Chauncey Spikes caught six receptions for a career-high 113 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Now 4-2, N.C. Central will travel to Tallahassee to face former MEAC rival Florida A&M this Saturday at 3 p.m., streaming on HBCU GO.
