Nov. 14, 2008

Box Score

HAMPTON, Va. - For the first time this season, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) women's volleyball team dropped a set to aconference opponent. The Lady Hawks rallied and pulled out a win against Norfolk State University (NSU) 3-1 (22-25, 25-11, 25-14, 25-11) in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championships.

MEAC Player of the Year Christina EstebanÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'ââ'¬Â '© (El Paso, Texas) racked up her 11th double-double of the season, putting up a match high 40 assists and team high 10 digs. 2007 MEAC Player of the Year Whitney Johnson (Prince Frederick, Md.) had a match high 20 kills, continuing her incredible accuracy by hitting .529 from the floor. The MEAC Rookie of the Year Christine Edwards (Lakewood, Calif.) nearly netted her fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 12 kills and nine digs. Johnson and Edwards missed tying NSU's team total 35 kills by just three.

"We came out slow and allowed them to control the first set," said Head Coach Don Metil. "It was a wake up call."

Set one was rocky for the Lady Hawks who hit just .049 as team and trailed most of the set. NSU's Brianna Alums sparked a 7-2 run for the Lady Spartans putting them up 11-10, a lead they never relinquished. UMES rebounded in the second and fourth sets hitting 81-percent as a team and trailing just once in each set.

For NSU, Solange Honore had a match high 15 digs. Allums finished with a team high nine kills and Nicole Kessner had a team high 21 assists.

UMES moves into the semi-finals against northern division rival Delaware State University tomorrow. The Lady Hornets took South Carolina State in straight sets to advance to the next round. For the last three years, UMES has been the team to knock Delaware State out of the tournament.