Sept. 15, 2011
UMES Game Notes- Brown Invitational
HAWKS BACK IN RHODE ISLAND FOR BROWN INVITATIONAL
For the second weekend in a row, UMES will head to Rhode Island to compete, this time in the Brown University Invitational at the Pizzatola Sports Center in Providence. The Hawks will begin Friday with a rematch against Bryant. That is followed by two matches on Saturday, starting with tournament host Brown and later Fordham. UMES competed in the Bryant Invitational last weekend in Smithfield.
IOSIA MEAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK AGAIN
After earning three double-doubles in as many matches in the Bryant Invitational, Iosia was named the conference's top rookie for the second week in a row. The All-Tournament Team member got a team season high 23 kills with 10 digs against tournament host Bryant, followed by 13 kills and 17 digs against Holy Cross and 14 kills and 10 digs in a victory over Harvard. She earned the honor last week with 59 kills and 39 kills in the USF Invite.
UMES NAMED BRYANT INVITATIONAL CO-CHAMPION
The Hawks were named co-champion of the Bryant Invitational, going 2-1 over two days, sharing the title with defeated opponent Harvard. UMES came back from falling in the first set to defeat Bryant 3-1 to open on Friday. After a defeat against Holy Cross 3-0, the Hawks earned their first shutout victory of the season over the Crimson 3-0. Outside hitters Saitaua Iosia and Maline Vaitai were named to the All-Tournament Team.
HAWKS FLYING HIGH ATOP THE MEAC
UMES leads the MEAC in five major categories: hitting percentage (.192), opponent's hitting percentage (.184), assists per set (11.37), kills per set (12.07) and blocks per set (2.31). The Hawks also rank second in the conference in digs per set (13.26) to only Norfolk State at 13.48, and third in the league in aces per set (1.37) behind leader South Carolina State at 1.91 and Coppin State at 1.63.
VICIC LEADS MEAC 30-ASSIST CLUB
Freshman setter Jessie Vicic is atop the 30-assists club of the MEAC, getting above that mark in five of UMES's matches so far this season. Her highest total this season came against South Florida, notching 45 assists in the five-set road victory. She also in top's in the conference in assists per set at 9.93, totaling 268 in 27 games.
BUZZ-"SA"
Saitaua Iosia, who has led the Hawks in kills each of the first seven matches of the season, ranks third in the MEAC in kills per set at 3.89, second in the conference in points per set at 4.54 and fifth in hitting percentage at .237, leading all underclassmen in those categories. In seven matches this year, Iosia has recorded five double-doubles, with three coming this past weekend in the Bryant Invitational.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN......
UMES stands as the only team in the MEAC with a perfect record on the road. The Hawks are 2-0 after victories over South Florida in Tampa on September 3rd and Bryant in Smithfield on September 9th.
UMES PICKED TO FINISH 1ST IN MEAC NORTH
The Hawks were chosen to finish first in the MEAC Northern Division, receiving 21 of 26 first-place votes. UMES is currently the four-time defending MEAC North champion. Delaware State was picked to finished second to UMES, while Florida A&M is picked to finish first in the Southern Division over defending MEAC champion South Carolina State.
VAITAI NAMED MEAC PRESEASON POY
Sophomore outside hitter Maline Vaitai was named MEAC Preseason Player of the Year by the conference in August. Last season she earned MEAC Rookie of the Year after leading the conference in kills with 407, kills per set at 3.45, points with 476.5 and points per set at 4.04. In addition, senior outside hitter Zoe Bowens was also named to the MEAC Preseason Team with 350 kills and 79 aces in 2010.
VAITAI NAMED COBRA ALL-PRESEASON THIRD TEAM
In their annual August preseason issue, COBRA Magazine named Maline Vaitai to the All-Preseason Third Team, being the only MEAC player to receive this honor. Last season, Vaitai along with Zoe Bowens and Samantha Chukwura received All-National Honorable Mention as well as All-East Region Team. UMES was last represented on a COBRA All-National Team in 2009 when Whitney Johnson received second team honors.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
UMES will rematch against Bryant, now 3-7 on the season, to begin the invitational. The Hawks defeated the Bulldogs in Smithfield 3-1, led by 23 kills and 10 digs from Saitaua Iosia. The Bulldogs have fallen in four of their last five matches but have won at least a set in their last four. The team's two top hitters were named to the All-Tournament Team, senior outside Jazmin Stoner, who leads the squad with 113 kills plus 97 digs and 17 blocks, and senior middle blocker Maria Scocca, who leads Bryant with 38 blocks along with 89 kills.
Tournament host Brown stands at 2-5 to start the year, falling in their last three matches of the St. John's Kaiser Classic in New York. The team will play in their first home matches with this invitational in 2011. On the 23 players on the roster, 16 of them hail from California, including the leading hitter Maddie Lord out of La Jolla. The freshman outside hitter leads the team with 102 kills and eight aces, adding 65 digs, plus has been named Ivy League Rookie of the Week earlier this season.
Fordham comes off of their own invitational, the Rose Hill Classic, taking only one of four from home to go to 2-6 on the season. The Rams also have a heavy California-contingent, sporting 12 out of their 18 roster players from the state. Senior outside hitter and captain Brittany Daulton leads Fordham in kills and digs with 95 and 59 respectively, while sophomore middle hitter Krissy Buongiorno has 28 total blocks and seven service aces to led the Rams in those categories.
UMES TAKES FOURTH PLACE IN USF INVITATIONAL
Competing in their first tournament of the season after the cancelation of the Tiny Laster Invitational, the Hawks took fourth place in the USF Invitational in Tampa, Florida with a 1-3 record. After falling to Bethune-Cookman 3-1, UMES rallied back from down two sets to defeat tournament host South Florida 3-2. UMES battled Bowling Green but fell 3-2 and lost to Eastern Kentucky 3-0.
BOWENS FINISHES #1 IN DIVISION I IN ACES PER SET
Zoe Bowens led all of Division I in aces per set last season with 0.67, totaling 79 in 118 sets, standing as the top season rate in the NCAA during the 25-point format period. Her 79 aces ranks second highest in a season during the same period. Bowens finished the year with at least four aces in ten different matches, including a season high against Coppin State, hitting seven aces on October 17, 2010.
UMES #1 TEAM IN DIVISION I IN ACES PER SET IN 2010
With Zoe Bowens leading the way with 0.67 aces per set, the Hawks led all of Division I in aces per set for the third time in four years, averaging 2.04 a set, finishing with 246 in 118 sets. Along with Bowens, Maline Vaitai and Kaveigna Lea'Aetoa each finished in the top-125 individually in aces per set. Vaitai hit 44 aces in 118 sets for 0.37 a set, 51st in Division I, while Lea'Aetoa landed 38 aces in the same number of sets to average 0.32 a game, 119th overall. In addition, Rebecca Prado and Stephanie Sierra each contibuted 32 service aces last season. UMES earned this same honor in 2007 and 2009.
METIL APPROACHING 100 AND 200 WINS
Don Metil is approaching two different milestones this season. He is four victories away from reaching 100 with UMES, currently standing at 96. He is also 19 wins from reaching 200 as a head coach dating back to 2002, including stops at Notre Dame (MD), Lees-McRae and Coppin State. Metil's first win in Division I came at Coppin State against UMES 3-2 on Sept. 25, 2005, while his first UMES win came against Coppin State 3-0 on Aug. 24, 2007.
UMES 7TH LONGEST ACTIVE HOME WINNING STREAK
Winning their last 15 matches in Princess Anne, the Hawks have the 7th longest home winning streak in the NCAA. Their last loss in the Hytche Athletic Center came on Sept. 26, 2009 with a 3-0 defeat from Sacred Heart. During this win streak, UMES has gone a perfect 45-0 in sets in Princess Anne. In addition, this streak marks the longest in the MEAC. Currently Cincinatti leads the country with 39 straight wins at home.
Team Current Home Win Streak (as of 9/13)
1- Cincinatti 39
2- Central Arkansas 30
3- Nebraska 25
4- Sacred Heart 20
5- Texas 17
5- Ball State 17
7- UMES 15
9- Louisville 11
UMES MATCHES TO AIR ON WGOP
WGOP 540 AM and 100.7 FM is now the flagship station of Hawks volleyball and will air all matches live on the radio this year. Dave Vatz returns for his second season with UMES and will provide play-by-play for each match. Fans can listen online on umeshawks.com.
BROWN INVITATIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, September 16th
UMES v. Bryant 4:30 p.m.
Fordham @ Brown 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 17th
Bryant v. Fordham 10:00 a.m.
UMES @ Brown 12:00 p.m.
UMES v. Fordham 4:30 p.m.
Bryant @ Brown 7:00 p.m.
2010 IN REVIEW
With a roster of just nine players, the Hawks went 20-12 and 8-2 in the MEAC to secure their fourth straight MEAC Northern Division title and 20-win season. After a 1-7 start, UMES went on a 16-2 run, including a streak of 11-straight three set victories and an 8-0 run at home. The Hawks earned a 1-seed in the MEAC Tournament and defeated Bethune-Cookman 3-1 before a defeat to eventual conference champion South Carolina State 3-1 in the semifinals. Maline Vaitai earned MEAC Rookie of the Year and First Team All-MEAC while Samantha Chukwura, Kaveinga Lea'Aetoa and Stephanie Sierra earned Second Team All-MEAC.
