Gardner-Webb University Athletics

Runnin' Bulldogs Jump Back Into Non-Conference Play, Host NC Central on Tuesday Night

October 20, 2025 | By: Michael Covil, Assistant Director of Strategic Communication

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb volleyball team (8-14, 1-6 Big South) jumps back into non-conference play on Tuesday night inside Paul Porter Arena, hosting NC Central (6-13, 3-4 MEAC)

GAME INFORMATION
Game 23: NC Central (6-13, 3-4 MEAC) at Gardner-Webb (8-14, 1-6 Big South)
Location: Paul Porter Arena - Boiling Springs, N.C.
First Serve: 6:00 pm
Stream: ESPN Plus
Most Recent Meeting: 2025 - NC Central 3, Gardner-Webb 0
Series History: Gardner-Webb leads 12-2

SERIES NOTES VS NC CENTRAL

Gardner-Webb and NC Central have met 14 times, with GWU holding a commanding 12-2 lead in the series
The Runnin' Bulldogs won each of the first 11 meetings between 2006 and 2018, but have lost two of the last three
Both wins for NC Central have come at the Eagles' home in Durham, with Gardner-Webb a perfect 6-0 at home
NC Central won the most recent match up 3-0 back on September 2nd in Durham
Of the 14 all-time matchups, only two have gone the full five sets

GARDNER-WEBB NOTES

Gardner-Webb is led on the attack by a freshman and a sophomore. Freshman outside hitter Haedyn Crumbley has a team-high 155 kills, followed by sophomore outside hitter Samia Sayd with 148
Redshirt junior Serena Kohler is fresh off her best game of the season on Saturday at Charleston Southern, with 19 kills. 20 digs and a .288% hitting percentage
In the assist column, sophomore setter Olivia Lefebvre leads the way for GWU with 443, and over 5.4 per set. Lefebvre has posted a series of career games in Big South play with her top-five best performances all coming since league play opened in September, including 39 assists at High Point and 30 at Winthrop
Junior middle Milla Lugo is top ten in the Big South Conference in hitting percentage through seven games, with 52 kills at a tune of .292%. Lugo is also third in the league in total blocks since the start of conference play with 28
Lugo has also just passed a career milestone, moving over 100 blocks for both her college career and Gardner-Webb career back in September
On the defensive end, graduate libero Nalani McBride has been excellent, with 465 digs and 5.6 digs per set this season. McBride enters a busy week for GWU still among the national leaders in each category
McBride is another Runnin' Bulldogs player who has reached a career milestone this season as well, recording her 900th dig between Gardner-Webb and Temple on Saturday at Charleston Southern
Among a team of mostly freshman and sophomores, freshman right side Sarina Galyean has seen some excellent play for GWU, with 69 total kills including 12 against Marshall and 10 against Queens in consecutive games
Other newcomers to the team include redshirt freshman right side Alexis Maesch, who has standout games this season against Campbell with 12 kills and a .241% hitting percentage, and Northern Arizona where she hit .357% and recorded seven kills
As a team, Gardner-Webb ranks first in the Big South in several key categories, with 992 kills, 53 solo blocks, 128 service aces, and 1486 digs
Gardner-Webb will aim for its 9th and 10th wins of the season this week, hoping to archive double-digit wins for the first time in the Alex Hinsey era, after already surpassing last season's win total last month

NC CENTRAL NOTES

The Eagles are another significantly improved team, entering with a 6-13 record but on pace for its most wins since an 11-14 season in 2021
NC Central arrives in Boiling Springs off back to back sweeps, 3-0 against Norfolk State on October 12th and 3-0 at SC State on October 17th
NC Central has faced five Big South opponents this season already, defeating Gardner-Webb and Radford while falling to Charleston Souther, UNC Asheville and USC Upstate
The Eagles have four 100-kill players, including senior Kamren Harper who leads the team with 260 kills and has recorded double-figures all but once this season
NC Central also features one of the best setters in the country, with Manuela Cripa Nasser having recorded at least 22 assists in every game, 625 total for the season, and 83% of her team's total assists

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