Box Score WASHINGTON, D.C. – Howard survived a first set that went into extra points and then won the next two sets a little more easily in a 3-0 victory over the Norfolk State volleyball team on Friday night in a conference matchup at Burr Gymnasium.
 
The Spartans rallied late to force extra points in the first set, ultimately won by the Bison, 26-24. NSU made it close in the late stages of the second set before falling 25-21, and Howard won the third set 25-17 to complete the win.
 
Sophomore Tori Tulensru led all players with 11 kills, while junior Jessica Johnson added seven kills and hit .316 for NSU (1-21 overall, 1-9 MEAC).
 
Khaila Donaldson led Howard with 10 kills on just 19 swings with no attack errors. The Bison improved to 15-9 overall and 8-1 in the MEAC.
 
The Bison had an early 3-1 advantage to start the match, but the Spartans stormed back to take a 9-7 lead thanks to a pair of kills from freshman Clarke Tyler. Howard took the lead back after scoring six straight, but NSU was able to stay within one point several times before tying it up at 18-18 on a block by Tyler and Johnson.
 
Howard went back up by a 23-19 margin, but Tulensru had a pair of kills to keep NSU alive, the second one with the Spartans facing set serve. A kill by sophomore Kayla Cason tied it up at 24-24, but Howard won the last two points for the first-set win.
 
NSU fell behind 7-4 in the second set, but the Bison were unable to really pull ahead until taking a five-point lead at 16-11. Howard went up 21-14 thanks to several more Spartan errors, but Tulensru had back-to-back kills to help NSU creep back into the set. They got to within three at 24-21 until Howard put an end to the comeback attempt.
 
Jasmine Sasser had back-to-back kills for a 10-5 Howard lead in the third set, an advantage the Bison stretched to 14-6 a little later. Senior Kylee Thiim twice had kills to get the Spartans to within five, the closest they got the rest of the set.
 
Howard hit .358 as a team, compared to .214 for NSU.
 
The Spartans will return home for the last MEAC weekend of the year next week. NSU takes on UMES on Friday night at 7 p.m. and then hosts Delaware State on Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. for Senior Day.