By By ADAM FISHER / Niles Daily Star
DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central University held off a late rally by Virginia Union University to capture a 3-2 victory and win the 2004 CIAA Women's Volleyball Championship inside McLendon-McDougald Gym on the campus of NCCU in Durham, NC.
Niles native and Eagles' senior utility player Cherie Wilson tallied 19 kills in the match. Wilson was named to the 2004 First Team All-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team for her peformance over the season.
This year, Wilson totaled 190 kills for an average of 2.21 per game. She also dug 154 balls, averaging 1.79 digs per game. Wilson added 40 service aces and 34 blocks to her statistics.
NCCU's Danielle Johnson-Webb (Chapel Hill, NC) was voted as the tournament Most Valuable Player with 27 kills in the title match, leading the Lady Eagles to their first conference championship since 1999 and just the second in school history.
NCCU jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, winning the first two games 30-28 and 30-22.
The CIAA Eastern Division Champion Lady Panthers, however, did not go down without a fight. Virginia Union won the next two games, 30-22 and 30-27, to even the match and put the pressure on the host Lady Eagles.
NCCU responded by cruising to victory in the fifth and deciding game, 15-9.
Lady Eagle junior Brenda Brown (Fayetteville, NC) recorded 18 kills and 18 digs against VUU and was selected to the All-Tournament Team. Junior Dorian Mills (Charlotte, NC) collected a team-best 19 digs in the championship-winning victory.
Junior setter Ariel Germain (Detroit, Mich.) distributed 61 assists for NCCU (24-13).
VUU (23-7) was topped by All-Tournament Team picks Michaela Vanakova and Gabriela Mokra with 33 and 24 kills, respectively.
By virtue of winning the CIAA conference championship, NCCU receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Playoffs, which are slated to begin either Nov. 18-20 or Nov. 19-21.