NORFOLK, Virginia – October 2, 2026 – The University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball team fell to Norfolk State in four sets (32-30, 24-26, 16-25, 11-25) Friday evening at the James D. Gill Health & Physical Education Building.
The Hawks (2-12, 1-2 MEAC) opened the night with a battle in the first set. UMES jumped out to an early advantage before Norfolk State worked its way back into the frame. With the score tied at 30, the Hawks claimed the final two points to secure a 32-30 victory.
Eastern Shore continued to battle in the second set, rallying from a 17-11 deficit to eventually pull even at 23. After the teams traded points to reach 24-24, Norfolk State scored twice to take the set 26-24 and even the match.
The Spartans carried the momentum into the third and fourth sets, winning 25-16 and 25-11 to close out the match.
Rayah Howell led the Hawks offensively with 14 kills while hitting .276, along with four total blocks. Shayla Henry added nine kills, while Karielys Melendez finished with eight kills and seven digs.
Jayda Hutchins recorded seven kills, a team-high 22 assists and seven digs, while Kate-Linh Eden added 18 assists. Arianna Warner Torres led the defensive effort with 17 digs, and Lila Bryant added 11.
Up Next
The Hawks return home Sunday, October 4 to host Howard University in MEAC action at 1 p.m. inside the Hytche Center.
