PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Friday night’s match at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center between the Norfolk State Spartans and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore was held in high importance. A win for the Spartans would be their first all season, while UMES seeked to end a five game losing streak, with the last four coming against conference opponents. In just three sets the visiting Spartans were kept winless as the home squad Hawks earned the victory to improve to 9-12 (2-4 MEAC).
However the victory did not come without sets that proved tense, but the Hawks seized control in the final moments of set number one. Trailing most of the way, the Hawks rallied late to tie the score at 19, thanks to two attack errors by Norfolk State and a kill by senior Lauren Berry. Close play would ensue for the rest of the way with the Hawks holding the narrow edge until the Spartans retook the lead at 24-23. That would not deter UMES in the end because thanks to a couple more Spartan mistakes and a kill by senior Ksenia Sukhareva, the Hawks scored the final three points for a 26-24 win.
Norfolk State kept up the pace with UMES in set two with four tie scores in the first 18 points. The Hawks would pull away late once again, with two kills from freshman Alana Polk to make the score 19-16 in favor of UMES. Two more kills by fellow freshman Kirstin Fink put the set away, and with a 25-17 decision the Hawks led the match two sets to none.
It would take one final late rally to finish off the Spartans in three sets and it came with Sukhareva on the serve. After a ball handling error by Norfolk State tied the match at 18 all, another Berry kill gave the Hawks the lead. Kills by sophomore Haley Robinson and junior Ashley Smith aided the 8-0 run by UMES for a 25-18 set win, cementing the Hawks’ ninth win overall and second in-conference.
Berry perhaps had her best night in the 2014 campaign with five kills in seven attempts against one error for a total kill percentage of .571, adding three blocks and an assist to that stat line. Sukhareva ended up leading UMES in kills with a game high eight, while sophomores Allison Woods and Sonia Rosales ended the night in double figures for digs, with 14 and 10, respectively. Polk led the team in total blocks, assisting with six, and both Smith and Rosales brought home an ace.
Clarke Tyler and Dominique Parker led the Spartans in kills with five apiece and libero Adriana Ramos finished with two aces and 14 digs. Meghan Peji also added two aces for Norfolk State.
Delaware State will face off against UMES on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. in Princess Anne as the Hawks strive for the third conference win and first winning streak since September 19-20.