GREENSBORO, N.C. – The UNC Greensboro (UNCG) volleyball team split its home opening doubleheader on Saturday, falling to Davidson, 3-1, (17-25, 25-13, 22-25, 19-25), but securing a 3-1 win over North Carolina Central (25-18, 21-25, 25-19, 25-17) as a part of the Central Carolina Clash in Bodford Arena.
MATCH 1: Davidson 3 – UNCG 1
Set 1 –
Allie Sweet opened the match with a kill from
Izora Gragg, but Davidson answered with a 4-0 run to take a 4-1 advantage. UNCG later took a 6-5 lead before Davidson used a 6-0 run to pull ahead 12-6. The Spartans battled back late, scoring three consecutive points to trim the deficit to 23-16, but Davidson finished the set with a 25-17 victory.
Set 2 – UNCG set the tone early, taking a 2-0 lead on a Davidson error and a
Kendall Lanclos ace. With the Spartans leading 6-5, Gragg guided a 6-0 run that included a pair of blocks by
Akila Hardie and
Hailey Clifton, a Sweet kill and three Davidson errors to stretch the margin to 12-5. UNCG then added a 6-0 run to take a 19-7 lead to cut the deficit to 20-13, the Spartans closed the set on a 5-0 run for the 25-13 win.
Set 3 – Davidson led 3-1 before UNCG answered with three straight points, including a Sweet kill and a block from
Connore' Siler-Nixon and Sweet, to move ahead 4-3. The Spartans built a 7-4 advantage on a Lanclos and Siler-Nixon block, but the Wildcats rallied to tie the frame at 10-10. The Wildcats scored the final three points, including back-to-back aces, to claim the set, 25-22.
Set 4 – Davidson opened the fourth set with a 7-2 lead. The Wildcats extended their advantage to 13-4, but UNCG used a 7-2 surge to cut the deficit to 15-11. Hardie and Clifton teamed up on two blocks during the stretch, while Clifton added a kill. Davidson answered with a 4-1 run to lead 19-13, before both teams scored six points, but the Wildcats claimed the 25-19 set and match.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Sweet recorded her 26th career double-double and third of the season after leading the Spartans with 21 kills and adding 15 digs.
- Gragg notched her 13th career double-double and first this season with 36 assists and 12 digs.
- Hardie led the match with five blocks, tying her career high.
- Chloe Nussbaum and Mia Nicklas tallied 14 digs apiece.
- Ella Burd recorded 10 digs and two assists, tying her career high in digs and setting a career high in assists.
- Clifton added eight kills on a .333 hitting percentage and matched her season high with four blocks.
MATCH 2: NCCU 1 – UNCG 3
Set 1 – The teams traded points early before UNCG used kills from Siler-Nixon, Lanclos and Hardie, along with a Siler-Nixon service ace, to build an 8-5 advantage. UNCG led by as many as eight, 20-12, and closed the set on a North Carolina Central setting error for a 25-18 victory.
Set 2 – North Carolina Central opened the second set with a 9-4 run. UNCG fought back, using a Sweet kill, a Lanclos ace and an Eagle attack error to cut the deficit to 12-9. The Spartans continued to battle and pulled within two points on several occasions, including at 20-18, but the Eagles held on for the 25-21 set win.
Set 3 – After the Eagles took a 5-4 lead, the Spartans responded with four consecutive points. Siler-Nixon sparked the run with back-to-back aces, while Lanclos added a kill to give UNCG an 8-5 advantage. North Carolina Central came within two at 11-9, but the Spartans answered with a 5-2 stretch to go ahead 16-11. UNCG pushed the margin to 22-16 following a Lanclos kill and a Gragg ace, before Nussbaum sealed the 25-19 set win with an ace.
Set 4 – North Carolina Central scored the first two points of the final set, but UNCG answered to tie the frame at 3-3. With the score tied at 6-6, the Spartans went on a 5-0 run behind kills from Siler-Nixon,
Siena Smiejek and Sweet, as well as an Eagle setting error, to take an 11-6 lead. UNCG maintained its advantage throughout the remainder of the set, with a Sweet ace extending the lead to 20-14. Sweet capped the match with a kill for the 25-17 victory.
BY THE NUMBERS
- Siler-Nixon and Sweet paced the Spartans with 13 kills apiece. Siler-Nixon hit .409 and added two blocks and a career-high three service aces.
- Nussbaum paced the match with 11 digs and tallied a career-high four service aces.
- Gragg guided the offense with 33 assists, while tying her career high with three service aces.
- Lanclos added 10 kills and two aces, while Sweet totaled nine digs and two aces.
- Molly Scott Cottrell made her collegiate debut, registering two kills, while posting her first career dig and block.
RECORDS
UNCG: 5-3
DC: 4-4
NCCU: 2-6
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UP NEXT
The Spartans will conclude the 2026 non-conference slate in Harrisonburg, Virginia, with the James Madison tournament from Sept. 18-20. The team will face the Dukes at 6:00 p.m. on Sept. 18, George Mason on Sept. 19 at 1:00 p.m. and Delaware State on Sept. 20 at noon inside the Convocation Center.
