Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. – The Hampton University volleyball team fell in four sets to North Carolina Greensboro on Saturday in the North Carolina Central Invitational at McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium, as UNC Greensboro won 3-1 (20-25, 25-12, 25-16, 25-18).

The Lady Pirates (1-2) led 4-2 early in the first set following a kill from freshman Allysa Medina (Menifee, Calif.). The Spartans fought back to tie the set at 6-6, before Hampton took an 8-6 lead after a kill from sophomore Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) and a service ace from senior Mariah Baylor (Minneapolis, Minn.).

UNC Greensboro used a 4-1 spurt to take a 10-9 lead, before Kraskura gave the Lady Pirates the lead back with a kill to put Hampton up 11-10. The Spartans would lead again, 15-14, but Hampton went on an 11-5 run to take the set by five.

Hampton hit a match-best .394 in the first set, recording 14 kills and just one error in 33 attacks. The Spartans also had 14 first-set kills, but UNC Greensboro also committed seven errors in the set.

Hampton went up 4-1 to open the second set, but the Spartans stormed back, going up 9-5 after going on an 8-1 run. Hampton scored three straight points to cut the lead to 9-8 after a service ace from sophomore Marija Kocevska (SkopjeKarpos, Macedonia), before UNC Greensboro went on a 10-1 run to take an 18-10 lead.

UNC Greensboro won the second set by hitting .348 as a team, with 12 kills and just four errors.

The Lady Pirates opened the third set with a 4-1 lead, before the Spartans scored five unanswered points to take a 6-4 lead.  A Kraskura kill later in the set tied the score at 8-8, before UNC Greensboro scored five straight points to go up 13-8.

Junior Ioana Kalfinova (Sofia, Bulgaria) recorded a kill to close the gap to 13-9, but the Spartans never relinquished control in taking the third set to take a 2-1 lead in the match. The Spartans hit .387 (17 kills, five errors in 31 attacks) in the set.

UNC Greensboro (3-0) opened the third set with a 9-3 lead, taking immediate control. Kraskura later chopped the Spartans' lead to 13-6 with a kill, but the Spartans again took control. Kraskura cut the lead to 18-11 with a kill, but UNC Greensboro held on to take the match.

Kraskura led the Lady Pirates with 12 kills to go along with 11 digs for her third straight double-double to open the season. Junior Petra Parros (Bloomfield, N.J.) hit a team-best .333 with seven kills and just two errors in 15 attacks.

Sophomore Sonja Maksimovic (Belgrade, Serbia) had 30 of Hampton's 32 assists.

Karrian Chambers led three Spartans in double-digit kills with 17.

Kraskura was named to the All-Tournament Team thanks to her three double-doubles. For the tournament, she totaled 62 kills and 44 digs, hitting .326 thanks to just 15 errors in 14 total sets.

The Lady Pirates will be in action again on Sunday, taking on North Carolina Central in a non-conference match at 2 p.m. For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.