PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — Using a combination of strong starts and come-from-behind rallies, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball team earned their first win of 2018. The Hawks swept St. Francis Brooklyn (25-13, 25-18, 25-22) on Friday (Sept. 7) in their home opener at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.
"It feels good to get that first win." said Head Coach Trevor Callarman. "All credit goes to the team. They did a great job executing the game plan, and everything is starting to click. We aced well on our serves, outblocked our opponent, and rallied behind an awesome crowd. We're ready to get more wins tomorrow!"
Senior Lucia Babic (Sisak, Croatia) led the way with a match high 12 kills and eight digs. Junior Ivana Blazevic (Zagreb, Croatia) contributed 26 assists and tied for a match high three aces with senior Rachel Kayongo (Northridge, California). Kayongo also added eight kills and five digs.
The Hawks also received top performances from sophomore Sola Okesanjo (Chicago, Illinois), who earned six kills and four blocks, and junior Lidia Chery (Garfield, New Jersey), who contributed four kills and a .500 hitting percentage, along with two blocks.
"We needed this win after a couple of tough tournaments." Chery said. "It took initiative by us but we passed consistently and our connections were amazing. Our energy never went down, and thanks for our fans for all their support."
The Shore stormed out of the gates, hitting .417 in the first set to win convincingly by 12 points, then built a steady lead in set two before winning by seven.
St. Francis Brooklyn took charge early in the third set, eventually building a 18-11 lead. After a Hawks timeout forced a service error, senior Koya Sowells (Missouri City, Texas) inherited the serve. With her leadership the home team ran off seven straight points to gain the lead. Kills by Okesanjo and Kayongo finished off the Terriers in a 25-22 win.
"We said to ourselves 'We are not going four sets today!'" Sowells said. "Our defense did a good job as we pushed for our first win. It feels good to be back!"
The victory gives Callarman his first victory as Maryland Eastern Shore head coach.
The Hawks will play two matches at the Hytche Center on Saturday (Sept. 8) as part of The Henson's Hawk Invite. At 10 a.m. Eastern Shore will battle South Carolina State before a 7 p.m. finale against Hampton.
