GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNCG volleyball team christened its home schedule with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-11, 25-12) victory over Alabama A&M Friday night in the first match of the Spartan-Aggie Invitational at Fleming Gymnasium. A raucous crowd enumerating 879 took in the match.

The win marked the first in a home opener for the Spartans since the 2010 campaign when the Blue and Gold swept North Carolina A&T.

UNCG (5-2) won the offensive battle easily, limiting the Lady Bulldogs (1-8) to a negative hitting percentage (-.053) while hitting a season-high .307 itself. The Spartans held the upper hand in kills (40-14), assists (39-13) and service aces (8-2). Additionally, the Blue and Gold were the stronger team at the net, accruing 10 total blocks to AAMU's three.

Senior middle Vicky Harley (Blythewood, S.C./Blythewood), who entered the weekend as the Southern Conference leader in hitting percentage and blocks, lived up to her billing as she registered a .562 hitting mark and racked up six blocks. She tallied 11 kills on 16 swings with just two errors. Redshirt junior middle Julia Westerbur (College Station, Texas/A&M Consolidated) produced the exact same stat line in the hitting column (11k/2e/16ta) and chipped in with four blocks of her own.

Running the offense was sophomore setter Sara Hohman (Zionsville, Ind./Cathedral) who picked up 34 assists, five digs and four kills. She also added an ace and a block assist.

Defensively, junior libero Katherine Santiago (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Colegio Adianez) led the way with 16 digs while sophomore outside hitter Jessica Brezwyn (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) ended her evening with 10 to go along with four kills, four aces and a block.

A pair of blocks set the tone early in the first set as UNCG took a 5-2 lead. The Lady Bulldogs responded with four-straight points to grab a brief 6-5 advantage, but the Spartans ripped off a 7-0 run which encompassed an Alabama A&M timeout. Leading the set 12-6, UNCG allowed AAMU to come no closer than five the rest of the way as the Spartans closed it out 25-16 on a block by Hohman and Harley.

An attacking error by Westerbur kept Alabama A&M close in set two as the Blue and Gold led 4-3 at that point. An ace by Brezwyn and a kill by freshman outside hitter Ashley Muench (Hurdle Mills, N.C./Orange) then sparked a 4-0 run which gave UNCG an 8-3 cushion before the Spartans stretched it to 15-8 on an ace by Harley. The Lady Bulldogs called timeout in an attempt to squash the Blue and Gold's momentum, but the Spartans netted six of the next eight points to put AAMU in the rear view mirror. An attacking error by Kyanna Sales ended the frame in UNCG's favor 25-11 heading into intermission.

The third stanza saw the Blue and Gold jump out to a 3-0 edge before a block by Alexandria Green afforded the Lady Bulldogs their first point. Alabama A&M called a timeout later in the set, however, the Spartans were leading 16-7 at that point and allowed AAMU just five more points in the frame, clinching the sweep by a 25-12 margin.

UNCG returns to action in Fleming Gymnasium tomorrow, facing off against North Carolina A&T and Maryland-Eastern Shore at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. respectively.