Box Score

UMES UMES 11-18,7-7 MEAC

Howard HOW 18-10,10-4 MEAC

UMES UMES

11-18,7-7 MEAC

Final

Nov. 21, 2025

Howard HOW

18-10,10-4 MEAC

Set Scores
Team	1	2	3	4	5	F
UMES UMES	15	21	27	25	8	(2)
Howard HOW	25	25	25	18	15	(3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | 11/22/2025 12:58:00 AM

Hawks Comeback Effort Falls Just Short in 3-2 Loss to Bison in MEAC Semifinals

BALTIMORE, Md. - The six-seeded Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (11-18, 7-7) pushed the two-seeded Howard Bison (19-10, 10-4) to the brink before falling in five sets in the MEAC Semifinals at the Coppin State Physical Education Complex.

The Score

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks - 2

Howard Bison - 3

(15-25, 21-25, 27-25, 25-18, 8-15)

How It Happened

From the first set to the fourth set, the Hawks, despite the slow start, improved their result each set. In the opening frame, UMES and Howard were tied, 8-8, until the Bison went on a 17-7 run to clinch the first set by 10 points. UMES then led early in the second set, 10-5, before the Bison rallied back to even the score, 15-15. Howard finished the frame by scoring 10 of the final 16 points to solidify a 2-0 advantage in the match.

The Maroon and Grey weathered 12 lead changes in the third set to get on the board. Tied 20-20, kills from Karielys Melendez, Anjola Omolewa, and Nkemjika Ikemefuna helped the Hawks get on the precipice of winning set three. The Bison then flipped momentum, generating back-to-back points to put the game at match point for Howard. Despite the adversity, the Hawks stacked three consecutive points to win the third frame, 27-25.

UMES, led by three kills from Omolewa and two kills from Malaysia Shaw, Melendez, and Ikemefuna, continued their good run of form into the fourth set, beginning the set by scoring 11 of the first 17 points. Even though Howard fought back to even the score, 14-14, UMES, highlighted by two more kills by Shaw, established an insurmountable lead with a 7-1 scoring run. The Hawks cruised the rest of the frame to force a fifth and final set.

After dropping back-to-back sets, the Bison usurped control of the match by scoring the first five points of the fifth frame. Although UMES whittled the gap to just two points, Howard ultimately closed our the Hawks, winning the final frame by seven points.

The Numbers

Malaysia Shaw capped off her freshman campaign by generating a career-high 17 kills on a .323 attack percentage to pace the Hawk offense. She also added four blocks
The Hawks fall to 18-5 in five-set matches under Coach Vanessa Faircloth
Karielys Melendez tallied a double-double with 13 kills and 13 digs. She also collected four blocks
In their final collegiate games, Nkemjika Ikemefuna and Anjola Omolewa each recorded 9 kills apiece
Kate-Linh Eden led the Hawks with 25 assists, tabbing her seventh consecutive match with 20 or more assists. She also added seven digs.
Jocelyn Torres amassed a career-high 23 assists, eclipsing over 20 assists in a match for the first time in her career
Valeria Matias earned her 25th double-digit dig match of the year, leading the Hawks with 15 digs
Lilliana Montes led the Hawks with a team-high six blocks
Jayda Hutchins tied for the team lead with a career-high 15 digs