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Oct. 8, 2005
Princess Anne, MD - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Hawk Volleyball Team avoided the season sweep by the Howard University (2-14) Lady Bison, 3-1 (32-30, 26-30, 30-16, 30-22) to improve to 4-16 on the season in a non-conference match-up of two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Teams. Freshmen were the theme of the day for the Hawks, as Holiday Eller totaled a whopping 20 kills, a match high and 14 digs. Fellow classmate Chanita Wesley had 14 kills and 13 digs while setter Yael Rozner, another first year player, had seven kills, 44 assists and 12 digs, three kills shy of what would have been her second career triple double. Adora Luster, another freshman added nine kills. The Hawks libero, Stephanie Braxton, recorded a match-high 20 digs. Howard came out firing on all cylinders taking a 6-1 advantage but the Hawks came right back tying it up and pushing their lead to as many seven, 28-21. Howard wasn't going away that easy forcing the game to 29-27 and making Head Coach Alex Temkin take a time-out. After the break Howard rattled off two straight points tying it at 29. After a service error by the Bison and a kill, it was knotted at 30. In the extra action a Howard attack error followed by an Eller kill would give UMES the game one victory 32-30. Eller paced the Hawks in game one with eight kills while libero Braxton recorded seven digs. Kimberly Dexter gave Howard five kills wile their libero, Jenica Leonard dug seven balls. In the second match Howard and UMES went back forth, just as in the first match, with neither team taking a lead of more than two until a 9-4 Howard advantage forced a Hawk time-out. Howard went on to take a lead as large as 19-9, 10 points, but the Hawks chipped away, rattling the Lady Bison and forcing them to call a time-out when the score 28-26 in favor of HU. It was thanks to the solid serving of Kate Smith that the Hawks cut the lead but it wasn't to be as they fell 30-26.
With the match knotted at one game apiece the same back and forth play continued into game three. UMES took an 8-3 lead and Howard Head Coach Linda Spencer needed a time-out. The break did not provide much rallying power as the Hawks extended their advantage 15-7, mostly on HU miscues. The match produced more of the same for the Hawks behind the hard hitting of Eller and fellow first-year player Wesley. They took a 29-16 lead with Smith subbing in to serve and finished the match 30-16. After just three games Eller and Wesley were in double digits in kills with 16 and 11 respectively while four Hawks were in double digits in digs. Dexter was leading Howard in kills with nine, a number she hoped it improve upon in game four. Her tenth kill came when the score was 20-13. Her kill to cut the lead to seven still would not be enough as Adora Luster drove home the next point, advantage 21-13. With Smith subbing back in to serve the Hawks would extend their lead to 24-15 behind a kill by Nicole Wilson. Wilson, who started her first match of the season today would be a force at the net, using her 6-3 frame to drive back balls on numerous Lady Bison attacks and over passes. Despite a feverish effort by Howard to extend the fourth match UMES would take the victory 30-22 and the match 3-1. Dexter finished with 15 kills for the Lady Bison, the only one in double digits. Shannon Grant and Janel James each had double digit digs with 13 and 15 respectively. Morgan Maxwell added nine kills. UMES is back in action Tuesday with a non-conference match against American University before playing LIVE on ESPNU on Friday October 14th against Florida A & M University . Both matches will be at home in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. |
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