HAWKS ROUNDUP BRONCS IN FOUR SET VICTORY
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – In the first of four matches for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in the Best Western Wild Weekend, the Hawks faced many early tests against a challenging Rider squad.
The Hawks passed nearly every mark, including a comeback win in the third set that proved decisive in a four set win over the Broncs at the Hytche Center. The win improves the Hawks to 5-6 on the year while Rider falls to 4-6.
Junior Ashley Smith (Huntley, Ill.) led the offensive effort for UMES with 15 kills in 38 attempts, good for a .316 kill percentage. While Smith led with the most kills, freshman Alana Polk (Houston, Tex.) ended the game with a team high .556 kill percentage, successfully converting five of nine attack attempts. Sophomore Allison Woods (Magnolia, Tex.) paced the defense with twelve digs while also tying for a team high in aces with 3, along with freshman Kirstin Fink (Tucson, Ariz.).
An early start from the Broncs did not deter the Hawks in set one. Despite a 3-0 Rider lead the Hawks rallied immediately with a kill from sophomore Haley Robinson (Honolulu, Hawaii) that tied the score at five. The set stayed airtight thru the midway point before UMES took charge. With the Hawks up two, a pair of kills by Smith and third by Robinson aided a 4-0 run to increase the lead to six at 19-13. Fink delivered two of her three aces to push the lead to seven, and Woods contributed an ace to finish the set, a Hawk victory by a 25-17 score.
Rider would make a stand in the second set. Jumping out to a 6-2 lead, the Broncs never ceded the advantage to the Hawks. The closest UMES would come was a 14-12 deficit before Rider trotted out a 7-2 run to increase the lead by five. Eventually the Broncs captured the set, 25-19.
Set three developed to give the illusion that the Broncs would ease their way to a 2-1 set lead, but the Hawks pushed a comeback that proved to be pivotal. With the score 22-16 in favor of Rider, Smith took the reigns as the server and the Hawks forced error after error on the part of the Broncs. The rally enabled UMES to tie the score. After forcing extra play to decide a winner, UMES turned to Fink, who supplied her third ace to take the third set by a score of 27-24.
Riding the momentum of their 11-2 run to win that set, the Hawks dominated the fourth, led early by senior Ksenia Sukhareva (Moscow, Russia) who supplied a kill to gain the serve and then enabled the Hawks to go on a 7-0 run, assisted by Fink, Polk, and Smith who supplied four separate kills during the rally. Rider would get on the board after that, but with the score at 17-8, the Hawks finished off the Broncs with an 8-0 run, ultimately sealing the win with a tip-over kill by sophomore Precious Manu (Carson, Calif.).
For complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com
THREE SET WIN OVER BEARCATS EVENS HAWKS RECORD
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — Riding the momentum of an afternoon win over Rider, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Hawks came out strong in their evening matchup with the Binghamton Bearcats. The results mirrored their efforts as UMES came away with a three set sweep for their second straight win. Evening their record for the second time this season, the Hawks improve to 6-6 while the Bearcats fall to 1-12.
Senior Ksenia Sukhareva (Moscow, Russia) and junior Ashley Smith (Huntley, Ill.) drove the Hawks offensively with 10 kills apiece. Sukhareva also tied with sophomore Allison Woods (Magnolia, Tex.) with nine digs, while freshman Kirstin Fink (Tucson, Ariz.) delivered two aces to lead the team.
The toughest set for the Hawks proved to be the first one. The Bearcats used two big runs to pull even and force extra play. After Sukhareva’s serves forced attack errors to give the Hawks a 17-11 advantage, Binghamton rallied to tie the score at 17. The Hawks drove the score back up to 23-18 with four kills by Smith and an ace by Fink, but the Bearcats used a 6-1 run to pull even again at 24. Needing two points to earn the win, the Hawks earned just that with a Smith kill and an ace by Sonia Rosales (Victorville, Calif.), finishing off the set in a 26-24 victory.
Binghamton looked to gain back momentum in the second set by racing out to a 6-1 lead. The Hawks would claw their way back with a 4-0 run assisted by two kills from sophomore Haley Robinson (Honolulu, Hawaii) and a second 4-0 run that included an ace by Fink to take the lead at 9-8. A third rally of 5-0 put the Hawks up for good as they ultimately took the set, 25-18.
For complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com
BCUvolleyball Takes Two At UMES
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Bethune-Cookman broke into the win column in grand fashion Friday with victories over Campbell and Binghamton at The Best Western Wild Weekend 2014 hosted by UMES.
The Lady Cats (2-10) saw a two-set lead against Campbell fade before rallying for a 3-2 (25-21,25-21,19-25,18-25,15-12) victory, then cruised to a 3-0 (25-19,25-17,25-19) decision over Binghamton.
In addition to registering their first victory of the season, the Lady Cats snapped a 15-match losing streak in tournament play dating back to last season.
Against Campbell, B-CU got 18 kills from Delicia Pierre and 13 each from Rhea Simon and Jill Arlaud, with Arlaud’s eight early kills helping the Lady Cats storm out to a two-set lead. Arlaud’s kills were a career-high for the sophomore.
For complete story, visit www.bcuathletics.com
Savannah State Breezes Past Tougaloo
SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Lady Tiger volleyball squad made quick work of Tougaloo College in their last home match before an extended road stretch Friday night in Willcox-Wiley Gym.
SSU downed the Mississippi College 3-0 with a balanced attack, improving their record to 3-8 on the season. Tougaloo falls to 1-7 on the season.
Early in the opening set teams went back and forth, until SSU broke the stalemate with an 11-0 run, helmed by 10 straight service points from newcomer Olivia Wasdin.
Freshman Zariya Thomas recorded four kills in the run, and sophomore Caitlynn Masoe added two.
For complete story, visit www.ssuathletics.com
Women's Volleyball Downs William & Mary to Open Midtown Invitational
RALEIGH, NC --- In the opener of the North Carolina State/Courtyard Midtown Invitational, the Howard women's volleyball team defeated the William & Mary Tribe, 3-1 (27-25, 25-23, 13-25, 25-21) on Friday afternoon in Reynolds Coliseum.
Freshman outside hitter Khaila Donaldson led a balanced effort for Howard (7-5), who earned their fifth straight victory by besting William & Mary (4-7). Donaldson posted her fifth double-double of the season with a match-best 15 kills and 11 digs while five other Lady Bison recorded seven or more kills. Senior setter Stephanie Shultis assisted on 42 points, sophomore libero/defensive specialist Morgan Marlbrough recorded 15 digs and senior middle blocker Assata Conway blocked six total attacks – all match highs.
Set one featured nine ties and four lead changes, with the majority of them coming in the latter stages of the game. After a Howard kill by sophomore outside hitter Katherine Broussard gave the Lady Bison their largest lead (18-14), the Tribe went on a 5-1 run to even the score at 19-19. Both teams would remain tied for the next six points, putting them in a 25-25 deadlock. A kill by senior outside hitter Meagan Lagerlef and a William & Mary attack error would give the Lady Bison the set.
The second set was even more congested than the first, as the two teams tied each other 12 times and passed one another four times. After taking its largest lead of the set (14-10), Howard was forced into seven of those 12 ties but couldn't fend off the Tribe as they proceeded to event the match.
For complete story, visit www.hubison.com
Coppin State picks up 3-2 victory over UMBC
TUCSON, Ariz. – The Coppin State and UMBC volleyball teams took their neighborhood rivalry 2,319 miles west to the desert. They treated the University of Arizona fans in attendance at the McKale Center to a high-definition display of quality volleyball -- Baltimore style.
The Eagles and Retrievers went toe-to-toe like heavyweight fighters in the center of the ring before Coppin State emerged with a 3-2 unanimous decision in a thrilling non-conference contest Friday afternoon. For the Eagles, it was the perfect way to conclude a long day of volleyball.
Coppin State (6-6 overall) split its matches at the Wildcat Invitational Friday. The Eagles dropped a 3-0 decision to 20th-ranked Arizona in a match much more competitive than the score indicated. The Wildcats (10-1) beat the Eagles, 25-13, 25-23 and 25-18.
Coppin State was able to recover from losing the first set to UMBC and being pushed to the limit by a determined Retreiver squad looking to earn a measure of revenge.
For complete story, visit www.coppinstatesports.com
Aggies Can't Hold On Against Tennessee Tech
GREENSBORO – Senior Jeana Daniels of the North Carolina A&T volleyball team finished with a match-high 19 kills along with a career-high .457 hitting percentage in a 3-1(29-27, 25-22, 25-20. 25-16) loss to Tennessee Tech, Friday evening in the Spartanburg Courtyard Classic at Benjamin Johnson arena.
Daniels was just three kills shy of matching her career-high but played well for the Aggies (0-13) and added seven digs and four block assists against TTU.
Junior Brooke Stamnes and sophomore Liz Martino recorded their third double-double of the season. Stamnes finished with 14 kills and a team-high 21 digs while Martino added 29 assists and 10 digs. Freshman Samara Brown was all over the court for A&T and finished the match with 14 assists, nine digs, and seven kills.
A&T was in control in the first set and held a 17-12 advantage over the Golden Eagles (4-9) until TTU showcased a 4-0 run to slice its deficit to one. The Aggies stayed composed and extended its lead to 24-21 but Tennessee Tech didn’t go away quietly as it scored three consecutive points to tie the game at 24. A kill by K’Vonna Johnson gave TTU its first lead of the set 27-26, but a TTU error, kill from Daniels, and ace from Stamnes pushed the Aggies to the 29-27 win.
For complete story, visit www.ncataggies.com
EAGLES CLEARED BY WAVES IN ARIZONA
TEMPE, ARIZ. – During day one of the Residence Inn Invitational, the North Carolina Central University volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-14) match to Pepperdine inside Wells Fargo Arena, on Friday, Sept. 19, in Tempe, Ariz.
The first set between the Eagles and the Waves saw 10 ties and seven lead changes with NCCU claiming the opening point off of a Denni Johnson (Ashburn, Va.) kill.
The Eagles led by as many as three during the set, while the 10th tie came as NCCU knotted the score at 13.
With Pepperdine in control of the offensive momentum, the Eagles battled back within one on a Kelly Rossip (Port Charlotte, Fla.) kill; NCCU trailing 20-19.
The Waves took a 5-1 run to finish out the first set on top, 25-20.
For complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com
Spartans Drop Contests to South Carolina, Citadel at Carolina Classic
COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Norfolk State volleyball team suffered a pair of losses on Friday during the first day of the Carolina Classic. Host South Carolina took down NSU 3-0 in a morning match, and then The Citadel knocked off the Spartans 3-1 in a late afternoon contest at the Carolina Volleyball Center.
The Gamecocks earned the sweep by winning 25-19, 25-12 and 25-22. The Bulldogs had a little more trouble putting NSU away. After dropping the first two sets, 25-19 and 25-19, the Spartans rebounded to win the third set, 25-20. NSU let a lead slip away in the fourth set, won late by The Citadel, 25-23.
Sophomore Jessica Johnson added 18 kills against the Gamecocks and then led NSU again with 14 kills against the Bulldogs. Sophomore Tori Tulensru had her best showing of the season versus The Citadel with 11 kills while hitting .412.
Down two sets to the Bulldogs, the Spartans (0-11) came out of the break on fire in the third, scoring nine straight thanks in part to three service aces by junior Darcy Moore at the start of the run. The lead extended to 16-7 following two straight errors on The Citadel (5-8), which did chip away at the lead to get to within three at 20-17. The Spartans won the next three points on the way to winning that third set.
For complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com
Lady Bears Drop Opener To Host Saint Francis-Pa., 3-1
LORETTO, Pa. (Sept. 19, 2014)-The Morgan State volleyball team had its season-long three-match winning streak come to an end on Friday evening at Degol Arena, as the Lady Bears dropped a 3-1 (19-25, 31-29, 26-28, 12-25) decision to host Saint Francis-Pa., in the opener of the Red Flash Classic.
Breanna Opera recorded a double-double with a team-high 14 kills and added 11 digs to lead four Red Flash players with double-doubles performances. Hannah Kutny finished with 13 kills and had 12 digs, while Kayla Jeckell contributed 10 kills and 10 digs. Alanna Blenkarn tallied 44 assists and 14 digs, while Jenna Veres notched a team-high 15 digs for the Red Flash, who improved to 3-5 all-time against Morgan State.
For Morgan State (5-6), coming off winning last week’s Friar Classic in Providence, R.I., after going a perfect 3-0 over the weekend, this was not the start the Lady Bears wanted to have. Looking to close out their final regular season tournament of the season in style, the Lady Bears would commit a season-high 32 attack errors and had eight service errors.
Although the errors, especially unforced errors did in the Lady Bears, there would be several bright spots for Morgan State. Junior middle hitter Dinah Jones, who last week set a career-high 10 kills in the finale against Fairleigh Dickinson, tallied a new career-high 16 kills against the Red Flash to lead all players. Fellow middle hitter, senior Zuri Smith also had a productive outing, adding 11 kills, while junior Evely Macedo notched a career-best and match-high 23 digs. Samantha Prescott and Tamara Leslie totaled 13 and 12 digs, respectively, while Carmen Fernandez fell shy of a double-double with a career-high 48 assists and nine digs.
For complete story, visit www.morganstatebears.com
VOLLEYBALL FALLS TO NORTHERN COLORADO IN FOUR SETS
GREELEY, Colo. – The Hampton University volleyball team fell in four sets to Northern Colorado Friday night in the Northern Colorado Classic, as the Bears won 3-1 (25-19, 26-28, 25-9, 25-16) in the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion.
Senior Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) recorded her sixth double-double of the season – and her fourth straight – tallying a team-high 23 kills and 13 digs. She hit .267 for the match, while senior Marija Kocevska (SkopjeKarpos, Macedonia) hit a team-best .500 with seven kills and no errors.
Senior Kitija Megne (Kuldiga, Latvia) had 32 assists for Hampton (5-6).
The Bears (5-5) held a 9-4 lead early in the first set, before the Lady Pirates scored the next four points to cut the gap to 9-8. Northern Colorado then went on a 7-1 run to take a 17-9 lead, but Hampton clawed back and cut the lead to 21-15 after a kill from senior Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia).
For complete story, visit www.hamptonpirates.com
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