North Carolina Central University

VOLLEYBALL

NCCU VOLLEYBALL CLAIMS FIRST CIAA CHAMPIONSHIP 
Lady Eagle Senior Rena Armwood Named Tournament M.V.P. 

      FAYETTEVILLE, NC -- North Carolina Central University swept through the field at the 25th Annual CIAA Women's Volleyball Tournament to capture the 1999 Conference Championship at Fayetteville State University. 
      Senior outside hitter Rena Armwood, a Durham native who tallied her 1,000th career kill over the weekend, was named Tournament Most Valuable Player.  Armwood collected 75 kills and 70 digs in 19 tournament games, including 16 kills and 21 digs in the title match. Senior middle hitter Davita Watson earned All-Tournament Team honors for NCCU, amassing 186 kills, 13 blocks and 10 service aces on the weekend.  Watson recorded 28 kills versus Johnson C. Smith and 20 kills in the championship game against Shaw. 
     Sophomore setter Rachelle Zastoupil handed out 245 assists, including a season-best 68 assists against Johnson C. Smith. Another NCCU sophomore, outside hitter Paulette Peoples, contributed 69 kills and 24 digs, while junior middle hitter Zarah Forbes added 56 kills and 13 blocks. 
     On Sunday, NCCU defeated Saint Augustine's, 3-1 (4-15, 15-3, 15-13, 15-9) in the semifinals, and dropped Shaw, 3-1 (15-4, 15-8, 13-15, 15-8) in the title game.  On Saturday, the Lady Eagles beat Bowie State, 3-0 (15-5, 15-5, 15-10), Johnson C. Smith, 3-1 (12-15, 15-13, 18-16, 15-12), and Shaw, 3-1 (15-5, 7-15, 15-0, 15-1) to advance to the semifinals. 
    The tournament win provided the Lady Eagles with the first volleyball conference championship in school history, dating back to 1974 when intercollegiate volleyball began at NCCU.  The Lady Eagles advanced to the CIAA title game six times under long-time head coach Sandra Shuler, but each time was defeated by powerhouse Saint Augustine's. 
     Armwood and sophomore Latisha McEachern are the first two student-athletes at NCCU to win a conference championship in two different sports.  The duo were also members of the first-ever softball conference championship team at NCCU, winning the CIAA Softball Tournament in 1998 and again in 1999. 
     Lady Eagle volleyball coach Ingrid Wicker also becomes the first head coach in school history to claim conference championships in two sports. A native of Durham, Wicker led the NCCU softball team to its first-ever conference championship in 1998 . 

Last Revised:  Oct. 31, 1999