NORFOLK, Va. – Lucia Babic tallied 15 kills on just 17 swings to pace Maryland Eastern Shore to a 3-0 win over the Norfolk State volleyball team on Friday night at Gill Gymnasium. 
 
In the last home match of the season for the Spartans, NSU hit in the negative at -.014 while the Hawks attacked at a .415 clip. After a solid start, the Spartans ended up falling 25-17, 25-10 and 25-12.
 
Babic played a huge part in MDES' big hitting night and thus the victory. She finished with a hitting percentage of .882, with only two of her 17 attacks staying in play and not going for kills.
 
She also added a team-high seven digs with two blocks, while no other player from either team had more than five kills on the night. The Hawks improved their record to 25-7 overall and 11-0 in the MEAC. The Spartans fell to 3-22 and 0-11 on Senior Night.
 
NSU started off well, overcoming an early 8-5 deficit to take a 10-9 lead after a block from senior Hope Forsythe and freshman Jannel Ezeagwu. The score was tied 12-12 after a pair of Hawk errors, and NSU still trailed by just two as late as 19-17 after a kill from sophomore Jill Aquino.
 
Maryland Eastern Shore, however, won the next six points to close out the set, and that was about all the Spartans could write. The Hawks won the first four points of the second set and led 16-5 not much longer after that.
 
The Spartans actually won the first three points of the third set, but a huge 17-2 run for the Hawks quickly put the final stanza out of reach.
 
Senior Clarke Tyler led the Spartans with five kills, and fellow senior Tori Tulensru added a team-high seven digs.
 
Maryland Eastern Shore held big advantages in digs (33-19) and service aces (10-2).
 
NSU closes out the season on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Battle of the Bay at Hampton.