NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State volleyball team was unable to keep the momentum going after winning the second set, as the Spartans fell to Morgan State by a 3-1 score on Sunday afternoon at Gill Gymnasium.
 
In a MEAC contest that closed out the home weekend, the Spartans hit .286 in the second set, won by a 25-23 margin. Morgan State won the first set 25-16, and surged ahead in the third and fourth sets, 25-14 and 25-16.
 
For the match, NSU finished with just a .050 attack percentage. The Bears (9-9, 1-1 MEAC) tallied 51 kills and 12 blocks while hitting .233. The Spartans fell to 0-2 in the MEAC and 1-11 on the season.
 
Juniors Anna Rupertova and Bojana Bolozan each totaled seven kills for NSU. Bolozan also had a team-high five blocks, while Rupertova led the way with 13 digs.
 
The Spartans battled back in the second set after Morgan State had pulled away midway through the first. Thanks in part to several errors on the Bears, NSU was able to build a one-point lead early in the second. Bolozan's service ace tied the score at 11-11, but NSU called timeout down 15-12 a few minutes later.
 
Sparked by a kill from Rupertova, NSU began to take control, at one point winning nine of 11 serves for a 22-18 advantage. Bolozan had three kills during that time, but MSU did not back down. The Bears won four of five points to make it 23-22, but kills from freshman Kyra Walden and Rupertova gave the Spartans the set win.
 
Morgan State had control for much of the rest of the match. The Bears won the first five points on the day before NSU clawed back to get to within one at 8-7. MSU won six of the next seven and went on an 8-3 run near the end.
 
The Spartans won four of the first five points in the third set, but MSU quickly came back. After taking the lead following a 7-7 tie, the Bears went on to win two or three in a row for each point for the Spartans.
 
The Bears also won the first four points of the fourth set. After NSU won the next four, MSU won seven in a row for a seven-point lead. Bolozan had back-to-back kills to close a 4-1 run for the Spartans, who were down by five at that point. The Bears won the next four points on the way to the eventual win.
 
Zoe McBride totaled 15 kills and 10 digs for Morgan State, while Kalysia Bates added 10 kills. Roi Wallace also had a double-double, posting 40 assists and 12 digs. Monette Daniels finished with eight kills and eight blocks as well.
 
NSU only had three service errors all day, and Bolozan totaled three service aces.
 
NSU will head up the coast next weekend to play at Maryland Eastern Shore on Friday and at Delaware State on Sunday.