SUMMARY

The Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (12-14 (6-8)) stormed past the Norfolk State Spartans (13-15 (7-7)) in four sets, thoroughly outclassing the Spartans in multiple facets of the game in the first round of the MEAC Tournament. 

THE SCORE

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks - 3

Norfolk State Spartans - 1

(25-21, 23-25, 25-8, 25-12)

HOW IT HAPPENED

Although the Spartans scored five of the first seven points, the Maroon and Grey settled in very well to put forth a strong counter attack. After falling behind, 5-2, the Hawks outscored Norfolk State 16-11 to take an 18-16 advantage. After Norfolk State rallied to tie the match, 21-21, UMES ended the opening set on a 4-0 run, icing a set one victory. All five seniors (Ranyla Griggs, Soleil Cotton, Isil Yilmaz, Shanti Ramdeen, and Lyric Snowden) contributed either a dig, kill, or block in the opening set. Griggs led Maryland Eastern Shore with five kills to open the match. Overall, UMES played sharp and in sync, which was a huge contrast from their first matchup against Norfolk State this season. 

Contrary to the opening set, UMES jumped out to a quick start, scoring the first four points and eight out of the first 12 points. The Maroon and Grey stormed into the media timeout with a lead, 15-11, thanks to back-to-back kills from Anjola Omolewa and Lilliana Montes. Out of the break in the action, Norfolk State rallied to erase the deficit, evening up the score at 20 a piece. The Spartans finished stronger than UMES in 

The Hawks shifted the tides of the match back in their favor in set three. Lyric Snowden burst onto the scene with six kills in the third frame. One of the key ways to win in an evenly matched game is to have players have career days while other players maintain their high level of play. With Snowden and Yilmaz both stepping up, especially in the third and fourth sets, while Hawk players like Dorlouis, Omolewa, Griggs, and Montes continued their usual level of consistency, UMES played their best volleyball that they have played this season starting from the third set. Hawks raced out to another quick start, taking seven out of the first 10 points to force a timeout from the Spartans. Throughout the match, the UMES coaching staff echoed to "not let up," and the Hawks refused to slow down. The Maroon and Grey demoralized the Green and Gold with a season-high 17-0 run where nothing could go wrong for the Hawks. Every attack seemed to find the court. Every serve seemed to push the Spartans out of system. Every pass by the Hawks back row was high and off the net. Lastly, every attack from Norfolk State seemed to be blocked by UMES' front row. When the dust settled, the Hawks cruised to a 25-8 victory in the third frame, cementing one of the most emphatic set victories in school history. 

The Hawks stayed locked in and maintained their level of play into the fourth set, ensuring that this would be the final frame. For the third time, Vanessa Faircloth's squad had a fast start, building a six-point lead by scoring 13 of the first 20 points. UMES played with an unwavering energy and vigor and that mentality never waned throughout the fourth set. The Hawks iced the victory, both ending the fourth set on a 12-5 run. Despite dropping their two regular season matches against the Spartans, Maryland Eastern Shore left no doubt that they were the better team today with the way they excelled in this post-season bout. 

THE NUMBERS

• The Hawks outscored the Spartans 50-20 in the final two sets.

• UMES' 17-0 run in the third quarter was their largest scoring run of the season.

• Lyric Snowden finished with a career-high 12 kills. Snowden is the longest tenured Hawk on the team, having been on the squad since 2020. 

• Isil Yilmaz finished with a career-high 20 digs. Like Snowden, Yilmaz was another UMES Senior that had her biggest game in the highest stakes match of the season.

• After being arguably the biggest snub for an All-MEAC selection, Ranyla Griggs left no doubt that she is one of the best players in the entire Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, finishing with 14 kills, eight digs, and a service ace.

• All-MEAC Second Team Selection Anisa Dorlouis achieved a double-double, amassing 36 assists and 14 digs. This is Dorlouis' 17th double-double of the season.

• The Hawks dominated at the net, finishing with 15.5 blocks to the Spartans' four.

• UMES hit at .237% clip as a team while limiting Norfolk State to a .028%.

• Soleil Cotton finished with a team-high 4.5 blocks. Snowden and Montes added 3.5 blocks a piece.

• Coach Vanessa Faircloth is now 3-3 in her career against her alma mater, Norfolk State.

COMMENTS FROM THE TEAM

"I have said all year that our energy wins us games. Today, we came out with great energy. Our players were given a game plan and they performed and executed, and I could not be prouder." - Head Coach Vanessa Faircloth

"I love facing Norfolk State. If we are going to fight tooth and nail with somebody, why not against someone we are familiar with? Every year our games against the Spartans are close and competitive. I think we bring the best out of each other as teams. I am happy we got the better of them today" - Head Coach Vanessa Faircloth

"Before the game, I told the team to not be frantic, keep good energy, and stay consistent. When we play with energy, we move through balls better and we play better as a unit. Our energy is what wins us games" - Outside Hitter and Captain Ranyla Griggs

"I wanted to make sure we continue to stay in this tournament. We are trying to make it all the way to the championship and win. I wanted to go out there and do all I could for my team. Without the team and the energy that we had, we would not have made it out of this round. That energy created a determination to keep going point by point." - Senior Outside Hitter Lyric Snowden

"I just tried to be my best and help my teammates, and that showed up on the court. The energy was so great! We were believing in ourselves from the first point to the last point. It was amazing and that led to the great result." - Senior Libero Isil Yilmaz

UP NEXT

With this win, the Hawks improve to 12-14 on the season. Maryland Eastern Shore has now defeated Norfolk State in the first round of the MEAC Tournament for two consecutive years. The Maroon and Grey advance to the MEAC Tournament Semifinal to take on the top-seeded Howard Bison at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 23.

"I feel we just need to move forward with our game plan," stated Coach Faircloth when asked about the upcoming matchup against the Bison. "It is definitely a good time when we match up against Howard. We know they had to work a little harder scouting our match since they did not know who would win going into it. We are up for the challenge and ready to see what tomorrow looks like."