DURHAM, N.C. — Aaliyah Mitchell and Amanda Santos Juliao each posted a double-double Friday night, and Delaware State survived a back-and-forth fifth set to beat North Carolina Central 3-2 (25-18, 16-25, 25-19, 17-25, 15-13) at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference road win improved the Hornets to 14-8 overall and 5-3 in league play.
Mitchell led all players with 17 kills and added 13 digs. Santos Juliao finished with 10 kills and 12 digs. Emma Patmon chipped in 11 kills, and Courtney Nix collected 13 digs. Hannah Sanders added three blocks. Paige Ahakuelo ran the offense with a team-high 24 assists and also had an ace.
Delaware State had four players reach double figures in kills and four reach double figures in digs, a balance that kept the Hornets in the match even as momentum swung from set to set.
The match was a study in streaks. Delaware State controlled the first set, leading by as many as seven points on the way to a 25-18 win, then fell behind by as many as nine in a 25-16 loss in the second as North Carolina Central took the lead for good at 7-6.
The Hornets answered in the third, leading from the opening point and building an 11-point cushion at 20-9 before closing out a 25-19 win. The Eagles responded again in the fourth, taking the lead for good at 10-9 and pulling away 25-17 to force a decisive set.
The fifth set was tight from start to finish. It featured one lead change and 10 ties, and neither team led by more than three points. Delaware State held on for a 15-13 victory.
The Hornets will look to build on the win as the MEAC schedule continues.
