Mitchell 64 digs shy of reaching milestone

Box Score
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., October 27, 2006 -- Arlene Mitchell put together another 20-kill, double-double performance to help the Aggies defeat Bethune-Cookman 3-0 (30-26, 30-17, 30-27) in Daytona Beach, Fla., Friday night. Mitchell moved closer to the milestone of becoming the first Aggies player to reach 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs. Mitchell had 20 kills and 11 digs in the win to move her 64 digs shy of reaching 1,000 digs for her career.

She already has well more than 1,500 kills for her career. Friday’s double-double was the 33^rd for her career and her 20-kill performance was her eighth of the season. Brenden Chatman added 40 assists, and Lauren Walker led the Aggies defense with 18 digs. Darlene Mitchell and Nyra Taborn had eight kills apiece.  

The Aggies, who had a team .315 hitting percentage, needed to be precise to defeat the Wildcats. N.C. A&T (15-9, 6-3 MEAC) and B-CC looked great in the first game as excitement built with few errors as each team combined for 32 kills and just five errors.  The Aggies used five kills from Arlene Mitchell and two from Chatman to come back from a 23-21 deficit late in the game.  The Wildcats ran out to a 14-8 advantage when Danielle Goodrum spiked down a kill from the left side.

The ‘Cats could not claw back in the end as Arlene Mitchell blasted a hammer from the right side that slipped past the defense of B-CC. 

N.C. A&T jumped out to a quick 10-4 lead in the second game, and never allowed the ‘Cats back in the game.  The Aggies hit a whopping 15 kills in just 29 attacks in the second game, assisted by four B-CC errors, including three service errors.  The hero of the second game was Aundia Gray who connected on three of her four kills in Game 2. Chatman and Arlene Mitchell played strong defensively, combining for 11 digs in the game.

The third game was once again a rejuvenated contest as the crowd of 132 inside a boisterous Moore Gymnasium seemed to rattle the visiting Aggies down the stretch as a once spacious lead (21-15) was trimmed to 26-23 following a kill by Terra Wagner.  A timeout by North Carolina A&T was not enough, as the Aggies were forced into a second timeout following a Chelle Ticeson  kill over the net on a Gray attack and an Aggies miscue on offense.

The Aggie Pride spirit that loomed on the visiting sideline with the help of the North Carolina A&T cheerleaders was not to be denied as the Aggies closed out the final two points for the win.

Bethune-Cookman’s offense was directed by Goodrum with a team-high 10 kills and 12 digs—leading to her seventh double-double (kills / digs) performance of the season. 

The Aggies season continues on Tuesday when they host cross-town rival UNCG at Corbett Sports Center at 6 p.m. The Aggies then host S.C. State in a live nationally-televised game on ESNPU from Corbett Sports Center on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m.