PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Needing a win to keep its MEAC tournament hopes alive, the Norfolk State volleyball team did just that with a 3-1 win over UMES on the road on Thursday night at the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center.
Only a late rally in the second set by the Hawks prevented a Spartan sweep, as NSU came away with a 25-16, 24-26, 25-12 and 25-16 victory.
The win moved NSU to 10-17 overall and 6-5 in conference play, putting the Spartans a game behind both Morgan State and Coppin State (7-4). NSU needs a Howard win over Morgan State on Friday night, and then the Spartans must defeat Delaware State on the road on Sunday to lock up a berth in the MEAC tournament.
Against the Hawks on Thursday, it was senior Goda Jankauskaite who again came up big for the Spartans. She led all players with 17 kills on a .353 attack percentage, helping NSU hit .276 as a team for the night.
Sophomore Angie Darcus stepped up for the Spartans as well, finishing the match with 15 kills on a .333 attack percentage.
The Spartans found themselves down 7-4 to start the match, but they began to exert themselves thanks to a 7-1 run fueled by four kills from Jankauskaite. A couple of kills from senior Coralie Jarema highlighted an 8-2 run a little later as NSU coasted to a nine-point win in the first set.
NSU was the one with the 7-4 lead in the second set, a lead that stretched to six after NSU won five straight at one point. A kill from Jarema put NSU seemingly in control at 20-12, but the Hawks (3-20, 2-9 MEAC) scored six straight a short time later to cut the deficit to one, 21-20.
The Spartans looked to have the second set wrapped up when an error on UMES made it 24-21, but three errors on NSU and two kills from Haley Robinson stunned the Spartans.
Following that extra-point loss, Norfolk State came back with a vengeance, grabbing an 8-2 lead to start the third set. After UMES got to within two at 9-7, NSU used a pair of 4-0 runs and then won three straight for a 12-point cushion.
Then in the fourth, the Spartans won six of the first eight points before a few NSU errors allowed the Hawks to cut the lead to 10-7. Two kills by Darcus helped finish another 6-2 run, and a short while later freshman Sydney Dailey threw down a kill as the Spartans put the match away.
Jarema ended the night with nine kills and four blocks, while Darcus also added four blocks for a Spartan team that held an 8-3.5 advantage in that category over the Hawks.
Sophomore Darcy Moore had her seventh double-double of the season with 43 assists and 12 digs.
Robinson was one of three players for UMES who tied for the team lead with seven kills. The Spartans held the Hawks to a .072 attack percentage.
Norfolk State will play at Delaware State on Sunday at 3 p.m. to close out the regular season.