The lady Aggies continue to make history, as they came away with their first win against a Big South team.

The Aggies captured their first conference win last week in a thrilling five-set match against UNC Asheville (25-14, 23-25, 25-23, 20-15, 15-13). Reigning MEAC volleyball player of the year and graduate student Edie Brewer led the Aggies in kills (12), aces (2), and assists (27). 

Senior Andrea Laboy-Rivera came up big with a season-high of 19 digs, and senior Fatimah Shabazz showed up as she led the Aggies in blocks with six. The Aggies ended the game with a .286 hitting percentage, ten blocks, eight aces, and 55 assists.

Head Coach Hal Clifton was pleased to capture their first win in their new conference.

“You don’t know which match will count at the season’s end. Getting a win on the road is huge. The first conference match of the year was a battle. I knew it was going to be a battle,” Clifton said. 

Asheville didn’t leave without a fight. After the Aggies took the first set, Asheville stormed back to take the second set 25-23 in a nail-biter. 

The Aggies then returned the favor, took the third set 25-23, and had a hitting percentage of 0.432, limiting themselves to only three errors. Asheville pushed themselves during the fourth set by taking it 25-20, ultimately forcing a third and final set. 

The fifth set was a thriller, as both teams’ stats were practically identical. The Aggies and Asheville ended the set with nine kills and two hitting errors, but the Aggies secured the victory in the end.

“It’s conference. We have something to prove. The crowd was super loud, which drives us,” Senior Fatimah Shabazz said when asked about their motivation for winning this game. 

Last season, A&T’s women’s volleyball team made history by advancing to the NCAA postseason. This was the first time the Aggies volleyball team made it to postseason play. The Aggies are looking to return to postseason play for the second year in a row, but this time, while in the Big South.

The Aggies now stand at 1-2 overall in conference play, with 13 conference games left for the remainder of the season. The Aggies want to add to the win column in conference play and make a statement in the Big South. 

To stay updated with the Aggies Volleyball team, visit ncataggies.com to stay updated on scores, roster changes, and upcoming matches.