ELON – The Elon University volleyball team forced a fifth and deciding set but could not maintain its momentum, falling to North Carolina A&T 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 19-25, 25-20, 13-15) on Friday at Schar Center.
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Clara Simmons led Elon (5-15, 3-6 CAA) with 17 kills, followed by
Simrin Carlsen with 16. Carlsen also added 21 digs for her ninth double-double of the season.
Catherine Rucker recorded a career-high 11 kills, while
April Rice paced the offense with 28 assists.
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N.C. A&T (10-8, 6-3 CAA) was led by Tyne Ross, who posted a match-high 23 kills, and Zariah Winton, who added 19. Leonor Polezzi tallied 48 assists along with 15 digs for the Aggies.
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THE RUNDOWN
- The Phoenix opened with an 8-4 lead in the first set, but the Aggies responded with a 6-2 run to knot the score at 10. The set was tied again at 13 on an N.C. A&T service ace, but Elon answered with a 5-0 run to move ahead 18-13. The Aggies rallied with a 4-0 spurt before the Maroon and Gold countered with a 3-0 stretch to take a 21-17 advantage. N.C. A&T tied the set once more with a 4-0 run, but Elon closed it out on a 4-1 finish to claim a 25-22 win.
- Both teams traded points early in the second set before the Aggies pulled ahead 15-12. Elon battled back to tie it at 16 on a 4-1 run sparked by three kills from Simmons, but N.C. A&T regained an 18-16 lead to force an Elon timeout. The Aggies were the first to reach 20 points, leading 20-17, but the Phoenix answered with a 4-1 run to tie it at 21. Elon drew even again at 22 before the Aggies scored the final three points to even the match at one set apiece.
- The Aggies jumped out to an 8-2 advantage in the third set and extended their lead to 13-5 before the Phoenix responded with a 5-1 run, prompting an N.C. A&T timeout with Elon down 14-10. The Aggies added two quick points after the break, but Elon fought back with a 3-0 surge to close within 16-13. N.C. A&T, however, regained control with a 20-15 lead and held off a pair of late Phoenix rallies to take the set, 25-19.
- Elon got off to a fast start in the fourth set, leading 9-4 before the Aggies called a timeout. N.C. A&T trimmed the deficit to 10-7, but the Phoenix extended its lead to 16-10 after a service ace by Carlsen. The Aggies responded with back-to-back kills to cut the margin to four, prompting an Elon timeout with the Phoenix ahead 16-12. The break didn't halt Elon's momentum, as the Maroon and Gold maintained control to close out the set 25-20 and force a decisive fifth frame.
- In the fifth, the Aggies built a 6-4 lead, prompting an Elon timeout. The Phoenix closed the gap with a Berlekamp kill but still trailed 8-6 at the side switch. Elon tied the set at 10-10 and later took a 13-12 lead before N.C. A&T rallied for the final three points to win the match 15-13.
NOTES AND STATS
- Simmons recorded her seventh match of the season with double-digit kills and has totaled 35 in her past two contests. The Lewisville, North Carolina, native also had a season-best 13 digs for her second double-double of the season.
- Casey Brower tied Carlsen for the team lead in digs with 21, matching her season high.
- Caroline Berlekamp posted seven blocks, her second-highest total of the season. Carlsen added three blocks while Simmons contributed two as Elon outpaced N.C. A&T in total blocks, 12-7.
- Rucker registered three service aces, her second-best total this season, and hit .368 for the match.
UP NEXT
- The Phoenix and Aggies meet again Saturday in the series finale, with first serve set for 6 p.m.
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STAY POSTED
For further coverage of Elon volleyball, follow the Phoenix on X (@ElonVB) and Instagram (@ElonVB).
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-- ELON --
