Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State volleyball dropped a four-setter to Howard on Wednesday afternoon 3-1 at Gill Gymnasium.
 
After NSU took the first set 25-16, Howard won the final three 25-12, 25-23, and 25-18, led by Bison star Rya McKinnon's big day. The freshman outside hitter recorded 23 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, adding eight digs.
 
Outside hitter Carla Hernandez led the Spartans with 17 kills on a season-best .484 hitting percentage, while Shonte Seale added eight kills. Sydney McCree posted 27 assists and Nicole Rodriguez led the back row with 14 digs.
 
Norfolk State clicked in all facets during the first set, outhitting the Bison .400 to .160. Both teams committed four service errors in the game, but the Spartans limited themselves to just two attacking errors, making the difference.
 
An ace from Kylah Hunter gave the Spartans a 12-5 lead in the set, and two kills by Raquel Lightbourn a short time later extended the lead to eight. Paola Maradei notched a kill and block during a 3-0 run to set up game point, and Shonte Seale gave NSU a 1-0 match lead on a viscous attack moments later.
 
Howard opened the second set on a 12-3 run, its most dominant stretch of the day. The Bison tied the match at one with a comfortable set victory, outhitting the Spartans .464 to .087.
 
The teams remained neck-and-neck throughout the third set, with back-to-back kills by Hernandez evening the game at seven. A stretch that included three McKinnon kills helped Howard build a cushion, but the Spartans came back with a 7-1 run on the serves of McCree and Hernandez.
 
McCree used a nifty skip set attack to tie the set at 23, but the Bison won the next two points to take the set 25-23, gaining a 2-1 advantage in the match.
 
The fourth set remained competitive as well, with Lightbourn and Maradei combining for a rejection to push NSU ahead 10-9. With the game tied at 15, however, three straight kills and a service ace built separation for Howard. A 3-0 run pulled NSU within one, but the Bison reeled off six consecutive kills to close out the match.
 
The loss dropped Norfolk State to 7-16 overall, 7-6 in the MEAC. A revenge opportunity looms soon, though, with the Spartans and Bison meeting in the nation's capital on Friday to cap off the regular season.