PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland - It was not how the Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball team had hoped things would go, but on Thursday night the Hawks dropped their first match of the season to American in three sets (20-25, 20-25, 19-25) before a raucous crowd at the William P. Hytche Center.

Despite the defeat, several Hawks (4-1) delivered spectacular performances. Senior Mere Serea (Suva, Fiji) was impressive with eight block participations-four of them solo. While junior Alana Polk (Houston, Texas) accomplished eight blocks in a match last year against Manhattan, the last Hawk to tally four solos was Whitney Johnson in a win over Providence College on September 22, 2007.

On the hitting side, freshman Iva Vujosevic (Bar, Montenegro) led with 10 kills and registered a hitting percentage of 22 percent. Sophomore Lucia Babic (Sisak, Croatia) hit just over 27 percent with nine kills. Junior Kirstin Fink (Tucson, Arizona) converted five kills with a success rate of one-in-three.

American (3-2) was led by 11 kills from Aleksandra Kazala and 14 digs by Kristen Largay.

"We had some great moments but did not do a good job of sustaining it." Coach Toby Rens said after the match. "American University played well and was deserving of the win."

The Eagles were able to pull off the victory by slowly and mercilessly building leads in each set. The Hawks would attempt to keep it close, but were doomed by a few key Eagle rallies and a couple missed opportunities. A brief comeback attempt was not enough for the Hawks to overcome a six point deficit in the first set, and although the second set was a bit closer, they dropped to 2-0 in the match with a pair of 25-20 Eagle victories.

In set three, the Hawks kept pace with the Eagles until the midpoint, thanks to some key Serea blocks and Vujosevic kills. Iva led the third set with six successful attacks, but once again, the Eagles surged ahead, and after a Babic kill cut the lead to 16-15, the hometown Hawks were unable to get any closer.

The Shore's Courtyard Classic tournament begins with two matches at 11 a.m. and five matches throughout the day, capping off with the Hawks taking the floor once again at 7 p.m. versus Navy. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the door.