Kierra Outlin (7) finished with a match-high 18 kills and five digs, while Natalie Chafeh (14) a team-high 43 assists and added 16 digs at American.
Morgan State 2, American 3
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 27, 2011)-The Morgan State volleyball team passed up a golden opportunity on Tuesday night to record the program's first victory over American in 23 meetings. In the series' previous 22 contests, only three times (1998, 2006 and 2007) have Lady Bear teams recorded a set victory over the Eagles. Last night Morgan State would force its first-ever five-set contest against the Eagles, but would come up short, falling 2-3 (25-17, 12-25, 20-25, 28-26, 7-15) in a non-conference match at Bender Arena.
The loss overshadowed a season-high and match-high tying 18 kills from Kierra Outlin, while Nangeeshie Plaud added 13 kills and 11 digs. Erin Cox finished with a match-high 18 digs and Ngebui (Natalie) Chafeh recorded a double-double with 43 assists and 16 digs for Morgan State, who after dropping 10 consecutive contests this season by way of sweeps, have now played in three straight five-setters.
American (9-9) was led by Rebecca Heath and Juliana Crum, who both tallied a team-high 18 kills. Heath added a team-high 13 digs, while Crum had 11 to both record double-doubles. Monkia Smidova finished with a match-high 47 assists and nine digs.
Morgan State (3-14) came out on fire in the first set, recording 15 kills and a hitting percentage of .394 in the opener to take the set 25-17 and a 1-0 lead. But the Lady Bears would record just eight kills, as their hitting percentage slipped to .294, while American totaled 15 kills for a hitting percentage of .667 in the second set for a 25-12 victory. But it was Morgan State's struggle with its passing during the set, which would hinder the team most, perhaps preventing them from winning the match.
“We passed so well in the first set and hit for a .394, then we turned around and didn't pass well at all,” said Morgan State head coach Ramona Riley-Bozier following the loss. “That hurt us. If we could have taken that second set I believe we would have beat [American].”
The Eagles seemed to regain life following the intermission and captured the third set with a 25-20 win to take a 2-1 lead.
Morgan State regrouped in the fourth set, blowing an early four-point lead (13-9) then battling back from a four-point deficit at 21-17. Morgan State would take a 24-23 lead on a kill by Janelle Wilson (nine kills), but American would tie it up on a kill from Crum. The two would go back and forth, until Simone Durham's sixth kill of the evening, put the guests up 27-26. Outlin then finished off the set with a service ace to force a fifth set.
American would never trail in the final set, jumping out to a 2-0 lead and holding an 8-6 advantage when the teams switched sides. The Eagles would then score the next six points after the switch to extend the lead to 14-6. Zurie Smith and Durham would combine on a block for the Lady Bears' final point, before the Eagles' Kelly McCaddin ended it with a kill.
Led by Wilson and Durham, who each totaled four blocks, Morgan State held a 9.0-6.0 blocking advantage over the Eagles.
Morgan State, which concluded its non-conference schedule with a 2-14 mark, returns to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) action next Friday, Oct. 7, when it travels to Delaware State. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. at Memorial Hall in Dover, Del.
