7 Lady Vikings receive honors

Johnson earns third f irst-team CIAA nod

Led by Eva Johnson, Elizabeth City State led all Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association teams with seven players on the All-CIAA volleyball team.

Johnson, a senior, was named to the first-team for the third straight season. Johnson will leave ECSU as the school’s all-time leader in digs, kills and attacks. Joining Johnson on the first team are teammates junior Xie’Ara Maybank-Smallings, senior Jennifer Hendy, junior Stacie West and junior Cassie Noe.

The 12-player first team is made up entirely of players from ECSU, Chowan and Fayetteville State, including the Lady Broncos’ Chekimbrell Jefferson, who was named the league’s Player of the Year for the third season in a row.

Chowan is represented on the first team by Callie Armistead, Victoria Lewis and Karina Monroe, who was also named the CIAA Rookie of the Year.

Lady Vikings on the second team include junior Samarri Griffin and senior Ashley Tarasoff, ECSU’s all-time leader in assists and service aces.

The player and rookie of the year and the teams will be honored at the volleyball championship banquet in Newport News, Va., on Thursday.

The CIAA tournament begins on Friday with pool play. ESCU, the Eastern Division champion, leads Pool A and will take on Shaw at 11 a.m., Bowie State at 3 p.m. and Fayetteville State at 7 p.m. Chowan won the Western Division and tops Pool B. The top two teams from each pool advance to the semifinals on Saturday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. and the championship match will be played on Sunday at 1 p.m. All matches will take place at the Boo Williams Sportsplex in Hampton, Va.