Box Score NORFOLK, Va. (Oct. 4, 2013)-For the second time in the past three matches, the Lady Bears' volleyball team found themselves battling back from a 2-0 hole, regrouping to force a fifth set, but in the end falling short.
Goda Jankauskaite tallied a match-high 23 kills, Noelle Eagles finished with a match-high 23 digs and Darcy Moore recorded a double-double with 41 assists and 11 digs to lead host Norfolk State to a 3-0 (25-15, 25-10, 21-25, 15-25, 15-11) victory over Morgan State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) North Division match on Thursday evening at Echols Hall.
The host Spartans improved to 6-11 overall and 2-1 in MEAC play with the win, while Morgan State fell to 5-11, 0-3 in the MEAC.
Thursday's match marked the sixth time this season that the Lady Bears have gone five sets and the fourth time this season that Morgan State battled back to force a fifth set. Morgan State is now 2-4 this season in five-set matches and has lost the last three straight contests that have gone the distance.
The Lady Bears were led by
Zuri Smith, who finished with 13 kills and
Janelle Wilson, who added 11.
Samantha Prescott recorded a team-high 18 digs, while
Tamara Leslie had 15.
Ngebui Chafeh totaled a double-double with 29 assists and 10 digs.
Norfolk State jumped out to a 2-0 set advantage over the Lady Bears by recording 14 and 12 kills, respectively in the two sets. In Set 2 the Spartans recorded 12 kills on 20 attempts and just one error for a .550 hitting percentage.
The Lady Bears were limited to just four kills and committed eight errors in 28 attempts in the opening set for a hitting percentage of -.143, followed by five kills and seven errors on 20 attempts and a hitting percentage of -.100 in Set 2.
Morgan State picked up the offense recording 12 kills apiece in the next two sets, while holding the Spartans to a -.132 hitting percentage with a set low of seven kills and 12 errors in the fourth set.
Both teams recorded 10 kills in the fifth and final set with Jankauskaite leading the Spartans with six kills and Smith leading Morgan State with four kills. The Spartans had just one error in 24 attempts and finished with a .375 hitting percentage. The Lady Bears had three errors on 19 attempts and a set-high hitting percentage of .368.
Morgan State, which never led in the fifth set, trailed 8-5 when the teams switched sides, following a kill by Coralie Jarema. The Lady Bears pulled within 9-8 after an assisted block by Chafeh and Wilson, but would get no closer. Norfolk State would score the next two points to take an 11-8 lead, forcing a Morgan State timeout and held a 13-10 advantage after a kill by Jankauskaite. Jarema would eventually end the match with a kill for the 15-11 victory.
Morgan State out blocked the Spartans 11.0-4.0 for the match. Smith led the Lady Bears with a match-high six blocks, while Chafeh added five blocks. Wilson recorded three blocks, giving her 197 for her career and moving her into a tie with former Lady Bear, Kyria Jones (1994-97) for eighth-place all-time at Morgan State.
After playing 15 of its first 16 matches on the road, including its last six, Morgan State finally returns to Hill Field House this Sunday, Oct. 6 when they play host to Delaware State for its annual homecoming match. The contest will also be just the second home match this season for Morgan State. The festivities get underway earlier in the day with the alumni match at 11 a.m. and conclude with the Delaware State match at 5 p.m.
