DOVER, Del. – Norfolk State dropped a road match at Delaware State 3-1 on Sunday, by scores of 25-15, 25-10, 24-26, 25-12.
 
Shonte Seale led the Spartans (8-10, 7-4 MEAC) with 10 kills on 22 swings, while Sydney McCree recorded 18 assists. Gabrielle Gilbert contributed eight kills and a team-high six digs.
 
Delaware State came out of the gate firing, jumping out to a 9-3 lead after back to back kills by Kelsie Dawson. Adlene Jideofor and Seale tallied successful attacks in short succession, but Alondra Maldonado responded with several powerful swings.
 
Gilbert racked up a pair of late kills, but it wasn't enough to get the Spartans back into the mix of the first set. Ella Sanders delivered the kill to put DSU ahead 1-0 in the match.
 
Delaware State kept its foot on the gas pedal, winning 10 of the first 11 points of the second game. Raquel Lightbourn stopped the run with a kill from Fabiana Mucciola's pass, but the Hornets continued to keep the Spartans on their heels, eventually winning the set 25-10.
 
Norfolk State found a groove in the third set, going on a 4-0 run behind Catori Crawford's serve to take an 8-4 lead. A five-point Hornets burst flipped the scoreboard, but the Spartans took advantage of several DSU errors to keep things neck-and-neck.
 
Seale added another kill, before Jideofor and Crawford combined for a crucial block tjat put the Spartans in the driver's seat. DSU clawed back to tie the set at 23, winning the next rally to set up match point.
 
NSU kept fighting, though. Gilbert put away a McCree pass to even the game, before Mucciola dropped in a pair of crafty serves to win Norfolk State the set.
 
The Hornets stifled NSU in the fourth set, holding the Spartans to five kills with five attack errors on 23 attempts. DSU took the game 25-12, earning its sixth win of conference play.
 
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