Final Stats

GREENVILLE, N.C. - In their first matchup against their final non-conference opponent this season, the Hawks drew a tough challenge against East Carolina. With a 3-0 result favoring the hometown Pirates, UMES fell to 10-14 on the season, while ECU improved to 11-9.

East Carolina virtually led wire-to-wire in the first two sets, supplying 25 kills and nine blocks in that span. After the Hawks managed a 3-3 tie in the first set, the Pirates rattled off four straight points. The Hawks would draw back within two before dropping the set by a 25-17 score. Set two belonged to ECU as they gradually built up a five point lead before winning 11 of the last 13 points to win, 25-11.

UMES did take an early lead in set three bolstered by kills from freshmen Alana Polk (Houston, Tex.) and Kirstin Fink (Tucson, Ariz.). Although the Pirates stormed back to take the lead, the Hawks kept it a close game thru the midway point of the set. A couple of attack errors by the Pirates reduced the Hawks' deficit to two at 14-12, but ECU pulled away in the second half of the set to win the match with a 25-20 final.

Fink and sophomore Haley Robinson (Honolulu, Hawaii) led all Hawk attackers in kills with seven each, and Robinson finished with a 45.5% kill percentage. Fellow sophomore Precious Manu (Carson, Calif.) led the defensive effort with eight, followed by junior Ashley Smith (Huntley, Ill.) and Fink who each had seven.

Ashley McRae and Natalie Montini had eight kills apiece to lead the Pirates, and libero Erika Figueroa was credited a double-digit effort in digs with 15.

Two highly important conference matchups await UMES, with the Hawks traveling to Morgan State on Friday for a 7:00p.m. matchup before another trip to Baltimore to play Coppin State at 3:00p.m. Sunday.