BALTIMORE, Md. – The Norfolk State volleyball team opened Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play on Friday evening, falling to Morgan State in four sets (14-25, 19-25, 25-14, 21-25) at Hill Field House.

Gabrielle Gilbert led all players with 17 kills, adding two service aces to pace the Spartan offense. Sydney McCree and Jasmine Mataira split setting duties with 16 and 12 assists, respectively. On the defensive end, Mya Wood recorded a team-high 11 digs, followed by Paula Sigurani with eight and McCree with six.

Morgan State (4-7, 1-0 MEAC) established control early, building a 7-2 lead in the opening frame and later using a 10-2 run to pull away 19-8. Norfolk State (1-13, 0-1 MEAC) registered six more points late in the set but could not recover in a 25-14 decision.

The second set remained close in the early stages, with the Spartans holding a 7-6 lead behind an ace from Briana Ellis and five NSU kills. Morgan State responded with timely runs to build separation, holding off an NSU push, 17-15, to take the set 25-19 and a 2-0 match advantage.

Norfolk State answered with its strongest performance in the third set, racing to a 10-2 advantage on three early kills, two service aces, and several Morgan errors. The Spartans extended the margin to 14-3 and later 18-8, closing out a 25-14 win to cut the match deficit to 2-1.

The final frame featured multiple momentum shifts. Norfolk State led 19-18 following a 4-0 rally, but Morgan State regained control down the stretch, securing seven of the final nine points to close the set 25-21 and the match 3-1.

Up Next
Norfolk State continues its road swing on Sunday, Sept. 28, with a MEAC matchup against Coppin State at PEC Arena. First serve is set for 1 p.m.