NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State dropped the first match of the Virginia Tech Classic 3-0 to the host school on Thursday evening. The Hokies won by scores of 25-17, 25-17, 25-21.
 
Shonte Seale led the Spartans in kills for the third straight match, posting 12 while also notching two digs and a block assist. Freshman Sydney McCree finished the match with 17 assists, while Nicole Rodriguez recorded a team-high seven digs.
 
The Spartans began the match with confidence. Seale tallied her first kill of the night and befuddled the Hokies with an ace on the next point, giving NSU a 6-4 advantage in the first set.
 
After making an inaccurate attack attempt to give Virginia Tech a one-point lead, Paola Maradei bounced right back with an emphatic kill on the ensuing play. Maradei notched two consecutive service aces later in the set to put the Spartans ahead.
 
Maradei's run came to an end with an error on her next serve, and a 4-0 run by the Hokies a few moments later gave the home team a three-point cushion that wouldn't be relinquished. Another four-point spurt eventually put Virginia Tech ahead 23-16, enough to win the set three points later.
 
The Hokies carried that momentum into the next set, jumping out to an 8-0 lead. The Spartans slowly clawed back into contention, with a pair of consecutive kills by Carla Hernandez cutting the lead to three.
 
Virginia Tech eventually reached the same 23-16 lead it possessed in the first set. Adlene Jideofor put away a McCree pass on the next point, but the Hokies took the next two to earn a 2-0 advantage in the match. Jideofor led the Spartans' front line with a .375 attacking rate on the way to four kills.
 
Back-to-back kills by Paola Matos got the Spartans going early in the third set. The Hokies put together a four-point run to go up by five, but Norfolk State continued to fight. Matos and Adeofor combined for a much-needed rejection during a Spartan run, before Matos and Maradei notched another to pull within one.
 
NSU continued to stand tall up front, with Maradei and Heranandez tying the set up with another block a few points later. The teams began to trade blows, McCree and Seale both giving the Spartans temporary leads on crafty attacks.  
 
Despite the long rallies of the third set, a 5-0 run from the Hokies gave them the necessary momentum to close out the match. The Spartans dropped to 0-9 on the season, while Virginia Tech improved to 6-4.
 
NSU will finish the Virginia Tech Classic against Appalachian State on Friday at 3 p.m., the team's final match before MEAC play begins a week later.