Oct. 9, 2011
Final Stats
BALTIMORE - The Hawks returned to Charm City on Sunday to face Morgan State, dominating the Lady Bears with a three set victory (25-16, 25-14, 25-16) for their seventh straight win. UMES improves to 3-0 in the MEAC and 12-6 overall, while Morgan State falls to 1-2 in-conference and 3-16 this season.
A quick 3-0 run led by a pair of Kaveinga Lea'Aetoa (Salt Lake City, Utah) kills gave UMES an early 4-2 in the first set. The Hawks maintained a small lead when at 14-13 UMES, they went on a 4-0 run to take a five-point lead. At 20-16 Hawks, UMES finished Morgan State off with five points in a row, including two kills from Victoria Williams (Los Angeles, Calif.) to win game one 25-16.
After Morgan State scored the first point, UMES surged ahead with a 9-0 run off the serving of Zoe Bowens (Long Beach, Calif.) and a pair of kills from Maline Vaitai (Salt Lake City, Utah) and never relinquished the lead. The Lady Bears got to within six, but the Hawks took three straight points by kills from Bowens, Saitaua Iosia (Long Beach, Calif.) and Ndidi Ibe (North Richland, Texas) to get back up by nine. UMES won game two 25-14 and took a 2-0 match lead.
Bowens led the way again for the Hawks in the third set, serving through a 7-0 run early with another pair of kills from Vaitai to go up 8-1. Morgan State got to within two at 11-9 UMES. After each side exchanged a point, UMES took six of the next seven points rebuild the lead to seven at 18-11. The Hawks would trail by more than six again and took set three 25-16 to win the match 3-0.
Vaitai finished with 11 kills to hit .333, adding a pair of digs and blocks. Iosia fell just short of a double-double with 10 kills and nine digs and two blocks. Bowens picked up five kills on six attacks to hit .667 plus eight digs. Rebecca Prado (Annandale, N.J.) got seven digs, standing just three away from 1,000 in her collegiate career, with two aces.
For Morgan State, Kierra Outlin led the team with eight kills and seven digs. Nangeeshie Plaud got six kills and digs.
Next Friday, October 14th, UMES will face Hampton on the road at 6:00 p.m. With both schools at 3-0 in the conference, the winner will have sole possession of first place in the MEAC North.
