Box Score ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Despite Briana Dafney's match- and career-high 20 kills, the South Carolina State volleyball team fell 3-1 (25-17, 25-23, 23-25, 27-25) to North Carolina Central on Friday night at Dukes Gym. It was the first time since late August that the Lady Bulldogs forced a fourth set.
 
All four sets were very close, with no team leading by more than five points after set 1. Leading the match 2-0, NCCU (2-8, 1-0 MEAC) started the third set on a 4-1 run. SC State (0-17, 0-3 MEAC) quickly tied it at 5-all after a Lady Eagle attack error. Later, a kill by Dafney gave the Lady Bulldogs a 16-15 advantage.
 
SC State led 21-18 after a kill by Marcella Chestnut, but NCCU rallied back to get within one, 21-20. Two Lady Bulldog errors tied the match at 23-all, but consecutive attack errors by Casey Curran gave SC State its first set win of the match.
 
The Lady Bulldogs started the fourth set hot, winning four of the first five points. The Lady Eagles led 14-9 at one point, but SC State scored five straight points to knot things up at 14-14.
 
NCCU led 24-22, but back-to-back Lady Eagle miscues tied the set at 24-all. The Lady Bulldogs fought hard to keep forcing extra points, but were done in by two attack errors to end the match.
 
Dafney added three aces, two digs and one total block, while Chestnut finished with 11 kills, eight digs, and two assists. Fabiola Plaza had a team-high 35 assists, and added seven digs and two kills.
 
Tyler Ockleberry tallied 11 digs and six kills in her season debut. Dashanique Peterson posted a career-high four kills and also had two block assists.
 
SC State hosts North Carolina A&T at 2 p.m. on Sunday.