Summary

HAMPTON, Va. - Maryland Eastern Shore (1-1) downed the reigning SWAC champions Florida A&M (1-2) in five sets at Holland Hall.

The Score

Florida A&M Rattlers - 2

Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks - 3

(25-19, 25-22, 25-15, 25-18, 15-12)

How It Happened

In the opening set, UMES and FAMU split the first 30 points of the match. Five different Hawks recorded at least one kill in that opening span. After being tied 15-15, the Hawks scored 10 of the final 14 points in the frame. Led by three service aces from Tola Maczka, the Hawks scored the final five points of the set en route to a 25-19 set one victory.

In a similar fashion to set one, the Hawks and Rattlers were even to begin the frame with 9 tie scores and a pair of lead changes. Tied 14-14, UMES usurped momentum by scoring four-straight points, highlighted by two kills from Nkemjika Ikemefuna and one kill from Malaysia Shaw. Despite FAMU coming back to tie the match 21-21, the Hawks ultimately took four of the final five points, icing a 25-22 set two win with a kill from Ikemefuna.

2024 NCAA Tournament participant Florida A&M flipped the momentum in their favor in the third and fourth sets, never trailing at all within those two frames. FAMU sided out at above a 65% clip in each set, evening up the match with wins in sets three and four.

Tied 10-10 in a tightly-contested fifth set, A pair of services aces from Karielys Melendez and kills from Rayah Howell, Anjola Omolewa, and Nkemjika Ikemefuna clinched both a 15-12 win for the Hawks in set five and the first victory of the year for UMES.

The Numbers

• The Hawks are now 12-3 in five-set matches in the Vanessa Faircloth Era

• In kills, UMES outhit FAMU 56-44

• Shaw registered her first collegiate double-digit kill match with 10

• Melendez posted a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs. She also added a team-high four service aces

• Lilliana Montes led the team in blocks with 3

• Ikemefuna paced the Hawks with 14 kills

• Omolewa recorded eight kills on a team-high .538 attack percentage

• Maczka registered three service-aces

• Hutchins finished with a team-high 22 assists

• Kate-Linh Eden finished with 19 assists

• Matias led the team with 21 digs

What Was Said

"It was very surreal. We have just beat FAMU, and that is something to be proud of! The energy between everybody was just top one. I am so proud of us." - Nkemjika Ikemefuna

"Staying as a team and not forgetting who we are, which is being a dog and going after it every play, was important in dealing with adversity today." - Nkemjika Ikemefuna

Up Next

Saturday, Aug. 30 | 6 p.m.
UMES (1-1) at Hampton (0-2) | Live Stats | Watch

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