The Tigers Remain Undefeated at Home After Win Against North Carolina A&T
By: Kylie Jones, contributing writer
The Tigers took on the first of two weekend matches against the Aggies from North Carolina A&T on Friday afternoon. Prior to the match, both teams boasted a 3-1 conference record. After just three sets, however, the Tigers managed to sweep the Aggies.
The Tigers held a promising start in the first set against the Aggies, taking the first four points for themselves– but the Aggies were able to answer. The Aggies’ response, however, quickly fell short. Coming off of a win on the road against Delaware, the Tigers started off energetic and presented their strong defensive tactics.
Heading into the game, players knew there was pressure to win at home.
“We wanted to execute, especially at home,” outside hitter Victoria Barrett said. “We knew they were a team with good hustle, but we wanted to keep our home record going.”
The Aggies found themselves in a 10-5 deficit against the Tigers, due to their shaky defensive rotations. After a timeout, the Aggies tried to rally back, but Towson’s Victoria Barrett easily dominated the court, leading the team with five kills to expand their lead.
North Carolina A&T continued struggling to connect on both the offensive and defensive end, which helped close out the first set for the Tigers. Outside hitter Sarah Callender capped the first set with four kills of her own. Towson took the first set home with a score of 25-15.
Towson’s Zyare Abdul-Rahim quickly made her presence known in the second set, leading the team with seven kills. The Tigers’ defensive specialist, Sydney Stewart also showcased some impressive saves to help further the lead.
Towson’s defense held off the Aggies for most of the second set, and they continued executing strong offensive plays as well. After an exciting kill by Victoria Barrett, the Aggies took to a timeout in an attempt to rally back from their 12-6 deficit. The Aggies were able to bring themselves to a draw with the Tigers, but Towson battled back.
After more back and forth, with errors on both sides of the court, Towson was able to regain control of the lead. Victoria Barrett was able to end the second set with another electrifying kill, bringing her to 10. The Tiger’s battled with the Aggies, but were able to secure the second set with a score of 25-21.
The Tigers looked to cap off their first match against North Carolina A&T heading into the third set. Towson took the early lead, topping the Aggies 7-1. Victoria Barrett continued to dominate the floor with three more kills, and a solo block to help stretch their lead.
Now with a 14-3 lead, the Tigers had multiple players taking charge of the floor. Abdul-Rahim tallied in another kill, and outside hitter Ava Nakai had five of her own.
This third set, however, was nothing easy.
When asked about her mindset in the third set, Zyare Abdul-Rahim said, “We knew we had to play cleaner on our side and control what’s within our control. We couldn’t focus on what they were doing on their side.”
Towson’s lead expanded and they were able to shut down the first of two matches against North Carolina A&T. They closed out the match with a score of 25-12, with a standout performance by hitting leader, Victoria Barrett. She finished the game with 17 kills, 32 attacks, and 11 digs.
The Tigers will face off against the Aggies in a second match at home tomorrow at 12pm. This will close off their series before they set off on the road against the top team in the conference, Charleston.
