PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Navy got a balanced effort across the board on offense in earning a 3-0 victory over the Norfolk State volleyball team on Saturday afternoon in the UMES Courtyard Classic.
 
The Midshipmen had 10 different players record at least two kills in the match and played 18 altogether in winning 25-15, 25-20 and then 27-25 at the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center. Navy improved to 5-1 on the year after totaling 46 kills in the three-set match while hitting .333.
 
NSU (1-6) was led by junior Clarke Tyler, who tallied seven kills on a .333 attack percentage. She became the first Spartan player other than senior Jessica Johnson to lead the team in kills over the first seven matches this season.
 
Johnson finished with four kills and seven digs, while seniors Dominique Parker and Sydney Dailey each added six kills on the day. Dailey also led NSU with nine digs and three service aces.
 
The third set proved to be the most exciting and unpredictable set of the match. It began with NSU leading 8-3 before Navy used a 6-2 run to get to within one. The Midshipmen tied the score at 14-14 before pulling ahead by two after Tara Dotzauer had four kills within a five-serve span.
 
NSU roared back, forcing a Navy timeout when two kills from Dailey and a service ace off the hands of senior Alex Irizarry put the Spartans ahead, 23-22. Two kills from Navy's Olivia Kluger on back-to-back plays put the Midshipmen ahead by one, and two plays later Sarena Seelbach and then Dotzauer landed kills to finish the match in extra points.
 
Dotzauer had seven kills in the contest, second on the team behind Dorothy Murray, who finished with nine kills on 12 swings.
 
An early 12-3 run for Navy gave it an eight-point lead in the first set, and the Midshipmen led by as much as the final margin of 10. They continued that momentum in the second set, building a 10-4 lead until NSU won seven of the next eight points to tie it up. Tyler's kill made it 11-11, and then with the score again knotted at 14-14, Navy started to stretch the lead out before winning by five for the 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Navy held a 49-35 overall advantage in digs, with Sydney Shearn tallying 25 by herself in just three sets.
 
The Spartans hit .077 for the match.
 
NSU will close out the tournament Sunday at 2 p.m. against host UMES.