Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. -- By virtue of a tiebreaker, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) volleyball team found themselves as the No. 3 seed in the Northern Division heading into tournament play. Because of this, they were forced to play to No. 2 out of the South, the Florida A&M Rattlers, who despite their 20 losses this season, always have the potential to be a threat come tournament time. That threat became a reality for the Hawks as the Rattlers ended the Hawks' season with a 3-2 victory (24-26, 25-21, 25-21, 20-25, 15-12) at the Hytche Center Friday morning.

The defeat completes the Hawks' 2015 campaign with 22 wins, a doubling of last year's win total. Florida A&M improves to 8-20 and will advance in the championship to face Howard.

"They have a lot to be proud of in terms of turning the corner." Coach Toby Rens remarked. "This group largely wasn't here last year, so it's great they came together as a group and had a lot of trust with each other. They should be able to look back with pride on their success in creating this special season for us."

Freshmen Lucia Babic (Sisak, Croatia) and Zuzana Ondruskova (Bilvoec, Czech Republic) were the leaders on offense, with Babic providing 20 kills and Ondruskova supplying 18. Babic also added 14 digs for a double-double.

In what turned out to be her final match as a Hawk, senior Petra Jerabkova (Prague, Czech Republic) was outstanding with a double-double of 45 assists and 12 digs while adding five block assists and five kills.

This morning's match complete three seasons on the Shore for the Czech senior. "I'm definitely happy I was here." Jerabkova said after the match "Of course it's bittersweet because we expected more, but I'm happy I got a chance to contribute, and I'll be watching!"

Fellow seniors Andjela Reljic (Novi Sad, Serbia) and Ashley Smith (Huntley, Ill.) also made an impact in the loss. Reljic earned 25 digs and three aces and Smith tallied eight digs, five kills, three assists, and two aces.

UMES built up a nice early lead in the first set, leading by as many as seven at one junction. But Florida A&M proved from the start they would be tough, forcing extra time. Two Babic kills sealed the first set by two points.

After Florida A&M took sets two and three by four point margins, the Hawks would rise up to claim the fourth set. Like the first set, the "visitors" on their home floor built up a nice cushion, this time leading by as much as ten. However, in a dÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'ââ'¬Â '©jÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'ââ'¬Â '  vu experience the Rattlers came back again with a couple small runs. It would not be enough as junior Haley Robinson (Honolulu, Hawaii) planted a ball on the A&M side to seal a five point win.

In the deciding set, it would the Rattlers who took control early, leading by as much as seven at the 13-6 mark. But the Hawks mounted an exceptional rally to try and save their season. Babic and Ondruskova supplied kills and Smith added an ace as the Hawks went on a 5-0 run. Unfortunately, the large deficit proved too great as Florida A&M came up with two timely kills to save their season.

Despite the setback, UMES can look forward to many positives entering the 2016 season, including a return of two seniors and a slew of juniors and sophomores, leading to a more experienced squad. The student-athletes who enjoyed a taste of postseason play this season will be yearning for much more in the years to come.