NORFOLK, Va. – A first-set victory went for naught as the Norfolk State volleyball team fell to Maryland Eastern Shore by a 3-1 margin in a MEAC match on Friday night on Gill Gymnasium.
 
The Spartans were able to come away with the early lead thanks to a 26-24 win, scoring late to pull off the upset. The Hawks took it from there, winning the next two sets by identical 25-20 scores and then finishing off the match with a much easier 25-15 win in the fourth.
 
The loss spoiled a strong outing from senior Anna Rupertova, who posted season highs of 14 kills and nine digs while hitting .237. Fellow senior Daiysa Burrell also went for seven kills on 15 swings in her most extensive action of the year.
 
The Hawks improved to 6-6 in the MEAC and 11-16 overall. The Spartans fell to 1-21, 1-11 in the league.
 
NSU hit .270 in the first set and .155 for the night. The team piled up 12 blocks along the way, getting six each from senior Bojana Bolozan and junior Jannel Ezeagwu. They each had five kills as well while helping Norfolk State to a 12-5 edge in blocks.
 
Rupertova, however, had six kills in the first set to lead the way. The Spartans needed them, as they fell behind early in the set and then by as much as six later on. Down 20-14 after the Hawks had won eight of the previous 10 points, the Spartans got going. Rupertova and Burrell each had a kill as NSU closed the gap to 21-19. Rupertova had another kill and an ace to tie the score at 23-all.
 
After an error on the Spartans, a kill from junior Jazmine Craig kept the set alive. A block from Ezeagwu and senior Jessica Radford was followed by an error on the Hawks to end the set.
 
NSU was unable to capitalize, despite leading through some of the third set. The Spartans were up 5-3 and later 9-6 after an ace from Bolozan. The lead went back and forth for a while, but the Hawks finally went ahead for good following Bolozan's kill to make it 14-13. They won the next three points, forced an NSU timeout up 20-17, and won the last three points after the Spartans had closed to gap to two.
 
The second set was not as kind to NSU. The Spartans were down 7-2 to start, but did get to within one or two several times. But they was never able to tie it up. They did get to within two against at 22-20 after Rupertova's kill, but again the Hawks won the last three points of the set.
 
Maryland Eastern Shore got going in the fourth, building an early 12-5 lead and stretching it to 11 as time wore on. A kill from Rupertova and a block from Ezeagwu and Craig highlighted the closing stretch for NSU.
 
The Hawks hit .227 but also finished with two more attack errors than NSU. Three players had double doubles, including setter Ivana Blazevic with 42 assists and 14 digs. Tatjana Trifkovic (14 kills, 13 digs) and Ilina Spasova (14 kills, 13 digs) also joined her in that department, although the duo did combine for 15 attack errors.
 
Alexis Lee (10 kills), Mauri Carver (nine kills) and Stella Johnson (18 digs, seven assists) also had solid matches for MDES, which held a 68-54 edge in digs.
 
Freshman Myleah Carter (14 digs) and junior Julisa Carrizosa (10) led the backcourt defense for the Spartans.
 
NSU will host Delaware State on Sunday at 2 p.m.