BLACKSBURG, Va. (August 25, 2023)--The Morgan State volleyball team began the 2023 season on the road competing in the Hokie Invitational hosted by Virginia Tech. The Bears would drop their opener to the host Hokies on Friday, falling 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-9) inside Cassell Coliseum. The contest was televised live on the ACC Network Extra.
 
Leandra Mangual-Duran led Virginia Tech (1-0) with a match-high 10 kills, while Hailey Pearce hit .667 with nine kills in the win. Iliana Rodriguz finished with eight digs and four service aces, both match highs and Hanna Borer totaled a match-leading 30 assists and four digs.
 
The Hokies finished the contest with 40 kills and hit .400 as a team with 10 attack errors. Virginia Tech finished with a set-best 15 kills in the second and had a team hitting percentage of .500 with 14 kills in the opening set.
 
Senior Jordan Page and junior newcomer Ainara Fernandes led Morgan State (0-1) with five kills apiece, while senior Makila Billingsley added three. Senior setter Erin Carpenter finished with 11 assists, two kills and two digs. Senior Alyssa Sampson led the way with a team-high seven digs. Gabriela Hiciano, who missed the entire 2022 season due to an injury, returned to the line up and hit a team-high .400 with two kills and four digs.

"Since the first day of my recovery process, I have been waiting for this moment. And after a year, the only thing I felt was the joy of finally being able to return to the court and do the sport that I love the most, said Hiciano. "I am very happy to finally play, and although I am still not 100%, now I can support my team inside the court."

Morgan State finished with 21 kills and had 20 errors for a hitting percentage of .013 Both teams were even in blocks at 4.0. Jada Williams, Justyus Jackson and Page all had two blocks for the Bears.
 
Morgan State will return to the court later this afternoon when it takes on Furman at 4:30 p.m. The Paladines defeated Quinnipiac earlier in the day, 3-2.


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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.