NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State came painfully close to completing a thrilling comeback in front of a packed crowd, but Hampton escaped Gill Gymnasium with a five-set victory on Wednesday night.
 
After losing the first set 25-16, the Spartans bounced back to take the second 25-19. Hampton responded by winning the third game 25-20, but NSU continued the back-and-forth battle by besting the Pirates 28-26 in the fourth. Hampton emerged triumphant from the deciding game 15-13, taking the Battle of the Bay 3-2.
 
 Although the match would turn into a back-and-forth frenzy, Hampton controlled the first set from start to finish. The Pirates simmered the raucous Spartan crowd by winning four straight points to open the battle, eventually jumping out to an 8-1 lead.
 
A strong sequence of serves by freshman Sydney McCree helped the Spartans pull within three on a five-point run, but attack errors kept NSU from regaining a lead. The first game saw NSU commit seven errors with just six kills, the team's only set with a negative hitting percentage.
 
But NSU had no plans for a complacent, blowout loss. The team roared back, winning the first five points of the second game. The Spartans got their offense back on track in that set, racking up 13 kills to go with just three errors.
 
Paola Maradei helped those numbers with two kills in a span of three points to force a Hampton timeout. Shonte Seale put one away right after the break, giving NSU a seven-point lead late in the second set it would not relinquish.
 
Paola Matos got the third set started with a crafty kill, but Hampton grabbed the next four points to regain momentum. Matos fought to keep the Spartans within striking distance, recording five of her team-high 15 kills in the third game, but Hampton remained steady to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Hampton led most of the fourth game, but this time NSU came battling back when it mattered most. Trailing 18-12 and their backs against the wall, the Spartans reeled off four straight clutch points, capped off by back-to-back Adlene Jideofor kills.
 
The Pirates stabilized themselves with two straight points after the timeout, but the Spartans continued to claw their way forward. Seale notched a pair of consecutive kills to put her team within one point, and NSU tied things up 21-21 a few moments later.
 
Hampton amped up the pressure, eventually setting up match point at 24-22. If the evening had proved anything, though, the crowd knew the Spartans would never let up. NSU staved off two straight match points, before Carla Hernandez sent one barreling into opposing territory to give NSU set point.
 
It wouldn't come immediately, but the Spartans would emerge from the set victorious. After the teams traded blows repeatedly, Hernandez put away her third kill of the game to send the match to a fifth game.
 
With Gill Gymnasium at full capacity and DJ Vincent Hancock keeping the crowd rocking, Norfolk State and Hampton would go the distance for a second straight year.
 
Both squads put together some ferocious attacks in the final game, but both defenses remained staunch as well. Nicole Rodriguez finished with a match-high 19 digs, while McCree recorded a career-best 10.
 
With the Spartans trailing 8-6 in the fifth set, Seale launched two consecutive missiles to even things up. Hampton jumped back out to a three-point advantage, but the Spartans inched back one rally at a time, until Matos gave the team their first lead of the set at 13-12.
 
Despite the enthusiasm from the fanbase, the night would not have the storybook ending they hoped for. The Pirates took the next three points, escaping the electrifying match with a 3-2 victory.
 
Norfolk State (0-4) will look to bounce back with a strong showing at the Rocky Top Classic this weekend, a three-match event in Knoxville, Tenn. The Spartans face The Citadel at 4 p.m. on Friday, finishing out the tournament against Tennessee and New Hampshire on Saturday at 12 and 4:30 p.m., respectively.