WASHINGTON (October 25, 2019) – Howard University women's volleyball team remained undefeated in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) after outlasting North Carolina Central (NCCU) in a five-set marathon (23-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-18, 15-13) inside Burr Gymnasium.
 
With the victory, Howard moved to .500 (11-11) on the season.
 
Four Bison reached double-digit kills, led by junior Jurnee Tipton (Ypsilanti, Mich.) and redshirt sophomore Marcelle Butler (Canton, Ga.) with 13 kills apiece. Tipton also produced a double-double (17 digs and 13 kills) in the win.
 
After dropping a tight first set, 23-25, HU rebounded and tied the match at one after eclipsing a .375 hitting percentage.
 
North Carolina Central regained the upper hand with a set three victory, 23-25, but the Bison refused to go away.
 
Howard forced a fifth and deciding set, delivering 16 kills with a .400 hitting percentage in game four, 25-18.
 
The epic deciding set saw NCCU grab an 8-6 edge before swapping sides, but HU scored three consecutive points to take the lead, 9-8. Both squads seesawed down the stretch, but Tipton delivered the match-winning kill at the end.
 
Freshman Macy Witt-Nobles (Rosharon, Texas) recorded 11 kills while senior Kira Porter (Lake Tahoe, Nev.) added 10 kills.
 
Newcomer Kayla Diaz (Nanuet, N.Y.) had a team-high 32 assists while fellow classmate Semira Blair (Fort Worth, Texas) notched a double-double (26 assists and 13 digs) in the victory.
 
For NCCU (5-20, 4-5 MEAC), Arlanda Faulkner and McKayla Young each had 12 kills while Celene Morris added a double-double (34 assists and 12 digs) in the loss.
 
Sunday (Oct.27), HU concludes its five-match home stand when North Carolina A&T State comes to town. Match time is set for 1 p.m. inside The Burr.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.