Box Score PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The Norfolk State University women's volleyball team remains undefeated in MEAC conference play after picking up a four-set victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Friday evening. The win marks the second consecutive season that the Spartans have defeated the Hawks in their home gymnasium.
Gabrielle Gilbert led the Spartan attack with 18 kills and a service ace, while
Shonte Seale tallied 14 kills.
Sydney McCree put up 34 assists as well as two service aces to go along with 11 digs.
Fabiana Mucciola led the back line with 15 digs and added seven assists.
Adlene Jideofor and
Grace Smith both collected six kills while
Briana Ellis and McCree each tallied four. Defensive specialist
Trinity Mitchell led the team with three service aces in conjunction with her six digs.
The opening set was neck and neck through the first 10 points as the teams sat tied at five all. The Hawks put down three in a row to take an 8-5 lead before the Spartans answered with five unanswered points off of two kills, one each from Gilbert and Seale, two Hawk errors and an ace from Seale, to go ahead 10-8. The teams traded the lead again as UMES scored four consecutive points taking a 12-10 lead. NSU evened the score at 12 all following kills from Smith and Jideofor. After the score knotted again at 13 all, Maryland Eastern Shore went on 12-3 rally to close out the opening set winning 25-16.
UMES continued to carry the momentum of the first set into the second taking an early 4-2 lead. A trio of kills from Seale evened the score at five all and spurred an NSU rally that saw the Spartans score six point to the Hawks one putting the score at 10-6 in favor of the Green and Gold. UMES made two attack errors while Seale added a fourth kill and Mitchell landed a service ace. Maryland Eastern Shore fought back to pull within one point, 16-15, following a 9-6 streak for the Hawks. NSU took a four-point lead, 19-15, after a Hawk attack error and kills from Gilbert and Seale fell in Spartan points forcing the Hawks to call timeout to regroup. Norfolk State came out of the timeout unfazed as the closed out the set on a 6-1 rally winning set two 25-16. The set was capped by a pair of Jideofor kills.
NSU opened the third set on a tear quickly going up 6-2 on three kills, two from Smith and one from McCree, a Gilbert ace, and two Hawk errors. Back-to-back errors from the Spartans put the Hawks within two points, 6-4, but Norfolk State reclaimed a seven-point lead, 12-5, as NSU rained down four kills, two from Ellis and one each from Jideofor and Seale. UMES climbed within five points, 15-10, however, NSU increased its to nine following four unanswered points. The teams traded the next several points and Norfolk State reached set point, 24-18, following a kill from Seale. Maryland Eastern Shore had a late rally of four points to close the gap to 24-21, but the three-time rookie of the week Gilbert came in with a mighty kill to stop the Hawk run and put the Spartans ahead two sets to one.
The teams were neck and neck throughout the first 14 serves of the fourth set as the score sat knotted at seven all following a kill from Gilbert. Another kill from Gilbert and one from Smith out NSU ahead 9-7 before UMES came back to tied the score again at nine all. That pattern continued a couple times with the Spartans taking the lead only to have the Hawks even things up again. With the scored at 13 all, Norfolk State went on a 5-1 run courtesy of three errors from UMES and kills from Seale and Ellis to lead 18-14. The Spartans led 20-16 after Jideofor and Gilbert put down back to back kills, but the Hawks rallied back to tie them score at 20 all and take the lead 22-20 after an 8-2 run. NSU came back to take a 24-22 lead after two kills from Gilbert scored as well as an ace from McCree aided in the comeback. Following the UMES timeout, a service error by NSU put the score difference at one point, 24-23. The rookie came in clutch with a final kill to win the match for the Spartans and help NSU remain undefeated in MEAC play.
Norfolk State returns to the court on Sunday, Oct. 1, for a home match against then Hornets from Delaware State University. First serve is set for 3 PM at Gill Gymnasium on the campus of Norfolk State University.
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