DOVER, Del. (Nov. 13th) - On match point setter Martina Ferrari had other hitters on the court, but only one option.  The fact that the best player in Hornet history was in the back row didn't matter, as everyone at Memorial Hall knew who was getting the last set of the night.  Ferrari's last assist was a back row quick to the Hornets lone senior, Cassandra Joyner, who put it down with a wrist away that would be her final kill in red and blue, and end her Senior Night with a 3-0 win over North Carolina Central (25-17, 25-12, 25-23) Friday night on the campus of Delaware State

"I can't believe it's over, I can't believe my last home match," said Joyner, the 2008 All-MEAC middle hitter.  "It's been the fastest four years of my life.  I couldn't have asked for a better group of girls.  It's just a great feeling because it was my day, which I really didn't want, but we all got to share it together.  Our team plays really well when we play off each other, and I'm just really happy that we were together today."

The Hornets jumped out early and impressively, with all six starting attackers recording at least one kill in the first set.  DSU (19-11, 8-2 MEAC) had 13 kills for a .276 hitting average, while holding the Eagles to .036.  An aggressive serve from the red and blue was helpful as well, as the squad would pick up four aces for the match in the opening stanza.

The second set was even more dominant, with NCCU (8-22) hitting for a negative -.043 against .320 for the Hornets.  The tandem of Elisa Hermann and Joyner combined for six of DSU's 10 kills, and three aces were tallied by libero Sonja Banicevic as well. 

The final frame would be closer, with a bevy of errors by the Hornets extending match.  DSU would have 17 kills, but give back 13 of those points with hitting errors.  But as things got late, it would be Joyner that would put it away.  Her seven kills and .308 attack percentage, as well as a major roof block solo to swing the momentum, would give her the chance to end her home career on the final attack of the match.  Her other middle hitter and teammate Ashley Herman also stepped up, hitting three out of four attacks for kills in the penultimate set. 

For the match, DSU would outkill NCCU 40-18, and have 13 aces to just one for the Eagles. 

Delaware State heads to Baltimore next Friday for the quarterfinal of the MEAC Championship.  DSUHornets.com will have complete coverage of the tournament, including player blogs and special features all week and through to the final.