ORLANDO, Fla. – The Norfolk State volleyball team dropped two matches at the UCF Tournament on Friday, including a five-set battle against UT Chattanooga.
GAME 1 – UT Chattanooga 3, Norfolk State 2
Gabrielle Gilbert powered the Spartans with 18 kills, while
Reagan Chisholm added nine. Freshman
Mary Nahinu tallied four aces, and both
Ava Berry and Chisholm posted four blocks.
Norfolk State served six aces as a team, while Chattanooga finished with nine. The Mocs hit .195 compared to the Spartans' .108.
UTC opened the first set with a 5-2 lead before Norfolk State pulled ahead on a Gilbert kill and Berry block to go up 10-8. The Mocs responded with a mid-set run and closed strong, taking the opener 25-18.
The Spartans stormed out to a 6-0 start in the second set, then fought through a back-and-forth battle. A 7-2 NSU run late, capped by a Castille kill, secured a 25-22 win.
Norfolk State carried that momentum into the third set, closing on a 9-2 surge behind Gilbert and Castille to take a 25-19 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
UTC answered in the fourth, pulling away late for a 25-18 win. In the deciding set, Norfolk State jumped ahead 5-2 after a Nahinu ace, but Chattanooga finished on a 13-3 run to seal the match 15-8.
GAME 2 – UC Riverside 3, Norfolk State 0
Gilbert again led NSU's attack with 14 kills and added seven digs. UC Riverside controlled offensively, hitting .354 compared to Norfolk State's .207.
The Spartans started strong in the first set with back-to-back aces from Gilbert to go up 7-3. The Highlanders rallied to tie the frame at 15-15 and edged out a 26-24 win.
The second set stayed close early, but UCR used a 7-1 run to close out a 25-18 victory.
Norfolk State built a 14-11 lead in the third behind Berry's scoring burst. The teams traded points late, but UC Riverside finished with three of the final four to clinch the sweep 25-23.
Norfolk State produced an early three-point lead behind back-to-back points from Berry, extending the lead to 14-11. The two teams couldn't gain an advantage towards the end of the set, with UCR scoring three of the last four points to win the game 25-23.
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