Volleyball MEAC Media Relations

UMES TOPS MORGAN STATE, 3-1

Maryland Eastern Shore’s Whitney Johnson totaled a match-high 22 kills and Caylin Woodward added a double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs, to lead the visiting Lady Hawks to a 3-1 (30-15, 30-27, 27-30, 30-28) victory over Morgan State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference match at Hill Field House on Friday night.

With the win, the Lady Hawks (5-3, 1-0 MEAC) ended a four-match losing skid to Morgan State, while handing the Lady Bears their first MEAC opener defeat in 16 years.

Morgan State (0-9, 0-1 MEAC), which is off to its worst start since the 1988 squad went winless, was led by Esther Johnson, who finished with 16 kills, six digs and a block. Jeniqua Moran added 15 kills and a match-high four blocks, while Teneika Fellows recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs. Ashley Preston also finished with 10 digs and Jentri Fullove tallied 41 assists.

Maryland Eastern Shore recorded 17 kills on 23 attempts for a hitting percentage of .696, while holding Morgan State to just six total kills in the opening game. The Hawks led by as much as 15 points (27-12) following a kill by Johnson, who also closed out the game with a kill, giving the Lady Hawks the 30-15 win.

Game 2 was back and forth and stayed close until Morgan State turned a 9-9 tie into a 20-15 advantage. Maryland Eastern Shore would bounce back and tied the score at 21-21 on the serve of Adora Luster. The Lady Bears would reclaim the lead on a kill by Fullove, but the Lady Hawks went on a 9-5 run to steal the game 30-27 and take a two game lead.

It appeared that the Lady Bears were going to be swept, as UMES scored the first five points of the game. Morgan State, countered with a 14-4 run, capped off with a service ace from Fellows, to go ahead 14-9. The Lady Hawks got within 25-24, following a Morgan State attack error. The Lady Bears held their composure and a kill by Moran finally ended the game, giving the hosts a 30-27 win.

Morgan State returns to action on Tuesday, Sept. 18, when they travel to New Jersey Institute of Technology. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.