DURHAM, N.C. – Paced by a pair of dominant double-digit performances from senior outside hitter Erica Staunton, the Northeastern volleyball team (2-3) picked up its first victories of the season, taking down East Carolina in four sets, and then closed out the day taking down East Tennessee State in four sets.
Staunton had a stellar day, tallying 21 kills on a .317 hitting pct., tying a career-high against the Pirates in the morning, and then followed with 17 kills in the win over the Buccaneers.
Northeastern def. East Carolina 21-25, 25-15, 29-27, 25-21 (BOX SCORE PDF)
- Set 1: Northeastern fell behind 6-3 early, but eventually knotted the score at six. The Pirates held a 15-10 lead, but the Huskies rallied for three straight points to trim a late deficit to 21-18. East Carolina would hold on, however, to take the set 25-21 after outhitting Northeastern .303 to .154.
- Set 2: The Huskies got off to a fast start, leading 7-3, and continued to pull ahead with a 5-0 scoring run, helped by blocks from graduate student middle blocker Nikiya Mitchell and Staunton. A kill by Mitchell would give Northeastern a commanding 11-3 lead. The Huskies continued to hold the momentum, stretching their lead to 13-5 after back-to-back kills by Staunton, and dominated the rest of the way. The Huskies outhit the Pirates .379 to .095, winning the set 25-15 to knot the match up at one.
- Set 3: Northeastern got off to a quick 3-0 lead after kills from sophomore outside hitter Sahitya Krishnamurthy, junior outside hitter Defne Arliel, and Seeger, but the Pirates answered right back to lead 6-4. Both teams traded points throughout, with neither taking a lead no larger than two points. The teams traded points to close out the set, with the Pirates holding off set point four times before an error sealed a 29-27 win for the Huskies.
- Set 4: The Pirates got off to a 7-1 lead, but the Huskies fought back to trim the deficit. The teams traded points throughout, with neither leading by more than two points. A kill by Staunton gave the Huskies a late 21-20 advantage, and the senior topped off her stellar performance with two more kills to help Northeastern take the set 25-21 and the match, 3-1.
- Sophomore setter Jessica Frannea had a strong performance setting up her teammates with 47 assists on 106 total attempts, hitting at a blistering .443 clip. Frannea also had 10 digs.
- Senior libero Kayla Martin notched a double-double with 27 digs and 11 assists.
- Staunton's 21 kills tied a career-high.
- Arliel and Seeger also had double-digit performances. Seeger had 14 kills and Arliel had 13.
- Junior defensive specialist Maddie Donaphon notched 10 digs.
- Northeastern tallied 72 digs compared to East Carolina's 44.
Northeastern def. ETSU 25-23, 23-25, 25-8, 25-19 (BOX SCORE PDF)
- Set 1: Northeastern got off to a quick 6-2 lead, but the Buccaneers rallied for three straight points to trim the deficit right away. Two kills from Jenkins propelled the Huskies back ahead 12-8, but a late scoring run by the Buccaneers tied the set at 20. Northeaster fought back to go in front 24-23, highlighted by a Staunton kill, and took the set 25-23.
- Set 2: ETSU got off to a 12-7 advantage, and remained in front. Down the stretch, two errors by the Buccaneers and a Jenkins kill trimmed the deficit to 17-15. The Huskies continued to gain momentum, eventually knotting the score up at 19. Back-and-forth play continued down the stretch, but ETSU held on to take the set 25-23.
- Set 3: The Huskies got off to a hot start, jumping out to an 11-2 lead, and didn't look back. Northeastern stretched its lead to 18-4 after two more kills from Jenkins, and remained in control. The Huskies put the set out of reach after a Mitchell kill to lead 23-6, and won the set in dominating fashion, 25-8.
- Set 4: A Frannea ace and a Staunton kill helped the Huskies get an early 10-7 lead. The Huskies continued to remain ahead, leading 15-12 after a Seeger kill. A kill by junior middle blocker Marika Virthe put Northeastern up 21-18 down the stretch, and the Huskies held on to win the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.
- Jenkins and Seeger tallied double-digits in the match. Jenkins finished with 12 kills, and Seeger had 11.
- Frannea had another strong double-double performance with 43 assists and 16 digs.
- Martin notched a team-high 24 digs, and Donaphon had 10 digs to lead the Huskies defensively.
The Huskies will face Duke to close out the Duke Invitational on Saturday, September 3 at 10 am. The match can be watched on the ACCNX.
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