BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 13, 2023)--Playing for the first time in over 33-plus years, the Morgan State volleyball team welcomed local foe Notre Dame of Maryland to Hill Field House for a non-conference match on Wednesday evening. The host Bears would go on to win 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-8).
 
The win improved Morgan State to 4-8 on the season, surpassing its win total from a year ago. The match was an exhibition contest for Notre Dame of Maryland and did not count for the Division III Gators (3-3), who were coming off a 3-0 victory over Hood College the night before at home.
 
The Gators scored the first two points in Set 1, but Morgan countered with a 12-2 spurt to take a 12-4 lead. Notre Dame Maryland responded with a 13-8 run to pull within 20-17 after a service ace by Candace Forgach-Aguilar. The Bears would score five of the final eight points to hang on for the 25-20 win.
 
"Ultimately we underestimated them at the beginning of the set and then we were able to get back into the groove," said Morgan head coach Xiomara Ortiz. "We are the team that we know we are, from whoever is on the lineup and we hold a high standard no matter if a starter is in or out."
 
Morgan State would put it together in the second set, recording 12 kills on 24 attempts with just one error for a set-best .458 hitting percentage. The Bears wrapped up the contest with 12 kills in Set 3 and a hitting percentage of .360. The Gators were limited to just two kills on 22 attempts and had seven errors for a -.227 attack percentage in the final set.
 
Ainara Fernandes led the Bears' offense with a match-leading eight kills, while Tiffany Moore and Tyrah Weems each added seven. Jourdan Page finished with six kills and May Karrick and Jada Williams both had five to account for Morgan's 38 kills. The Bears hit .405 for the match with Williams recording a match-high .714 attack percentage.
 
Trinity Carruthers totaled 16 assists and Erin Carpenter finished with 15. Morgan State, which had 16 service aces, received a match-high five aces from Carruthers and four by Carpenter. Alyssa Sampson tallied nine digs. Williams and Fernandes both had two blocks, including a solo block to help Morgan to a 4.0-1.0 blocking advantage over the Gators.
 
Miasia Ferrer had six kills, while Jade Stewart and Ciarra Bockstie had five kills. Paulina Hernandez had a match-high 13 digs, while Emma Mueller and Natalie Newton recorded nine and seven assists apiece.
 
Morgan State will be on the road this weekend when it travels back to New York for the second consecutive week, when they take part in the Cornell Invitational/Syracuse Tournament (Sept. 15-16). The Bears will face Cornell on Friday at 7 p.m. in Ithaca, N.Y., before heading to Syracuse to face the Orange at 2 p.m.
 
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, 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.