HAMPTON, Va. – Hampton completed the season sweep of the Norfolk State volleyball team on Tuesday evening at Holland Hall, defeating the Spartans by a 3-0 score in a non-conference match.
The Pirates hit .290 for the match with 21 more kills than the Spartans, leading to a victory via scores of 25-21, 25-22 and 25-16.
The Spartans (3-15) got a solid outing out of junior
Anna Rupertova, who tallied 12 kills and eight digs, both tops on the team, while hitting .216.
Hampton (8-15) got 12 kills and 19 digs from Megann Delgado, part of a 46-kill effort for the Pirates on the night. HU also led in digs, 44-29.
NSU's best stretch came early in the second set, when the Spartans jumped out to an 8-1 lead. Junior
Bojana Bolozan had three straight service aces during that time to spark the quick start. They still led 11-5 after a kill from Rupertova and a block from junior
Halley McKnight and sophomore
Jannel Ezeagwu.
Hampton began to cut into the lead and finally got it back after winning four straight, part of a bigger 7-1 run that gave the Pirates a three-point cushion. Rupertova had three kills as NSU tied it up at 21-21. But HU won the next three points as they went up 2-0 in the match.
A couple kills from sophomore
Taylor Eichelberger helped the Spartans get to within 9-8 early in the third set. The Pirates twice won three in a row, and a bigger 5-0 run at the end stretched the lead to as much as eight.
The Spartans had to call timeout down 6-2 early in the first set. The Spartans stayed close, eventually getting blocks from Bolozan, Ezeagwu and sophomore
Quiana Griffin to make it 13-12 in favor of Hampton. But the Pirates went ahead 20-15 and held off the Spartans in the end.
Eichelberger had six kills and seven digs, and Bolozan finished with four blocks. NSU outblocked the Pirates, 6-2.
Victoria Jenifer (nine kills), Kyndall Nicholas (eight) and Isis Black (seven) also provided offense for the Pirates.
The Spartans return to MEAC play on Friday when they host Maryland Eastern Shore at 6 p.m. at Gill Gymnasium.