Hawks earn four set win in home opener


PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks volleyball team gave fans a reason to cheer in a four-set victory over Gardner-Webb University in Friday night's home opener.


With the victory, UMES improves to 4-4 overall while GWU drops to 2-5 on the season.


UMES opened the match in dramatic fashion as a kill by Nkemjika Ikemefuna and a service ace by Valeria Matias closed out the first set, 26-24. Gardner-Webb bounced back to even up the match in the second set thanks to three straight points to go up 23-20 and winning 25-23. Momentum appeared to be with GWU in the early stages of the third period as the Runnin' Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-1 lead. After a Vanessa Faircloth timeout, the Hawks regrouped to earn five of the next six points and eventually climbed back to a 16-16 tie.


"We dug ourselves in a hole with our own mistakes and errors," Faircloth said. "We talked about resetting during that first timeout. The ladies took the challenge and responded with more consistent play. We fought back and finished with a statement."


The two teams continued to trade leads before a kill by Charlize Williams led to the next three points going the Hawks way. Ranyla Griggs slammed down the final point of the set as UMES won 25-22. UMES was in full control throughout the fourth and final set. Back-to-back kills by Griggs ballooned the UMES lead to 21-10 and the Hawks cruised to the 25-12 win to close the match.


Derionah Abner was the consistent presence for the UMES attack with a match-high 18 kills and a .368 hitting percentage. Ikemefuna added 12 kills while Anjola Omolewa and Griggs each had 10 kills to round out a balanced UMES offense. As a team, UMES combined for 61 kills on 141 attacks for a hitting percentage of .284 while GWU recorded 50 kills on 143 attacks for a percentage of .175. 


"As we prepare for two matches tomorrow, we will continue to lean on our preparation and work ethic to give us the energy and focus to compete. If we play to our potential, I believe we can compete for a championship," Faircloth said. "This is a great group to coach and I am excited to see how we perform tomorrow and improve throughout the season."


The Hawks return to their home floor tomorrow for two matches. UMES faces Quinnipiac at 2 pm followed by Hampton at 6 pm to conclude this year's Henson Hawk Invitational.


Fans can follow all the action live on - https://easternshorehawks.com/watch/