GREENSBORO, N.C. — William & Mary volleyball fell to North Carolina A&T in a four-set match on Friday at Moore Gymnasium, with final scores of 18-25, 14-25, 26-24, and 21-25.

William & Mary (6-12, 1-6 CAA) began the opening set with a strong performance, seeing early success from Audrey Brcka and Devereaux Hoxsie, both assisted by Shylah Swope, to take a slight edge. A mid-set surge, highlighted by back-to-back service aces from Avery Horejsi, pushed W&M ahead 9-5, demonstrating efficient play and capitalizing on North Carolina A&T errors.

However, North Carolina A&T (8-8, 4-3) responded with a sequence of points, including a series of kills by Tyne Ross and service aces from Zariah Winton, which shifted momentum and allowed them to take a 16-12 lead. The Tribe continued to battle, with Katherine Arnason and Damisi Osibodu contributing critical points, but ultimately, North Carolina A&T closed the set on a strong note. Despite a late push from W&M, the set concluded with North Carolina A&T securing a 25-18 victory.

In the second set, W&M began with a quick response after North Carolina A&T's opening point, as Arnason secured a kill to even the score. Hoxsie added a service ace to give the Tribe an early lead, but North Carolina A&T countered with a series of points that put them ahead. Olivia Westfort and Nicole Smith delivered key kills to keep the set competitive, drawing level at 9-9 midway through.

Despite these efforts, North Carolina A&T capitalized on a series of attack errors from the Green and Gold and extended their advantage with multiple kills and a service ace. Arnason and Westfort managed to break the opponent's momentum with additional kills, but North Carolina A&T's consistent offensive pressure closed the set at 25-14 in favor of the home team.

The third set began with North Carolina A&T establishing early control, securing a 4-0 lead through a combination of kills and service aces. The Tribe responded with a kill by Beatriz Silva to begin chipping away at the deficit. Defensive efforts by Ryann Love and Smith, including a block, helped narrow the gap to 6-4.

Midway through the set, W&M gained momentum with a series of points, including a kill from Arnason and a service ace from Hoxsie, tying the score at 9-9. Brcka's kill and Swope's service ace pushed the Tribe ahead, leading to a 15-12 advantage.

The set closed with tension as both teams exchanged points. W&M capitalized on service errors from North Carolina A&T and maintained composure with key contributions from Brcka and Smith. Smith's final kill from Horejsi secured the set at 26-24, giving the Tribe a hard-fought victory in the third.

W&M started the fourth set with momentum, securing the first two points through a block by Love and Arnason, followed by a service ace from Silva. North Carolina A&T responded, leveling the score at 2-2 before a back-and-forth play ensued. The Green and Gold briefly reclaimed the lead at 13-12 with contributions from Brcka and Hoxsie.

Despite strong efforts from the Tribe to maintain parity, including a kill by Smith and a service ace by Silva, North Carolina A&T managed to pull ahead in the latter stages. A series of points from Ross and Luca Radnai extended North Carolina A&T's advantage. W&M narrowed the gap with late attacks from Arnason, but ultimately, North Carolina A&T closed out the set 25-21.

STAT NUGGETS

• Horejsi led W&M defensively with 19 digs.
• Love had five total blocks (one solo).
• Brcka recorded double-digit kills with 11 on a .269 hitting percentage. 
• Silva had 19 assists and three service aces

UP NEXT
W&M will rematch with A&T on Saturday at 2 p.m.