BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 19, 2023)--The Morgan State volleyball team closed out its non-conference schedule this morning with a 3-0 (25-23, 28-26, 25-15) victory over Bowie State at Hill Field House.
 
The Bears improved to 5-10 on the season, while Bowie State dropped to 1-11. The five non-conference victories are the most for Morgan State since the 2019 campaign, when that squad recorded six non-conference wins.
 
The contest was Education Day at Morgan State, as 430 local youth ranging from third to fifth grade, were in attendance for Tuesday's matchup between the two Maryland Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It was the first meeting between the two programs since 1991, thus ending a 32-year hiatus.
 
Despite a slow start and playing without several key players, the Bears were able to overcome Division II Bowie State's upset attempt. Mya Karrick finished with a match- and season-high 16 kills, while hitting .344 to help Morgan State end a two-match losing skid. Karrick would also add a match-high four service aces and finished with seven digs. Ainara Fernandes accounted for 11 kills and hit .400, while Tiffany Moore added eight kills and hit .438, as Morgan State hit .204 as a team.
 
Trinity Carruthers tallied a match-high 21 assists and Erin Carpenter finished with 13. Alyssa Sampson recorded a match-best 15 digs.
 
Bowie maintained a four-point lead (12-8), when the Bears went on a 5-0 spurt with five consecutive kills to take their first lead of the contest at 13-12. Morgan's lead was short-lived, as a block by Nina Edwards even the score at 13 all. From that point forward, the teams would trade points and there were nine ties, with the last coming at 23-23 on a kill by Rayah Burge. However, the Bears would score the final two points on a service error and attack error on the Bulldogs for the 25-23 win.
 
In Set 2, Morgan State again found itself having to battle back from a four-point deficit. The Bulldogs scored the first four points of the set and Morgan countered with a 12-8 run to even the score at 12-12. A service ace from Ayana Johnson triggered an 11-7 run by the guests, giving Bowie State a 24-20 advantage. Morgan State responded with four straight points, capped off by a kill from Biko Hollie to even the score at 24-24. After a kill by Burge tied the score at 26 all, Moore tallied back-to-back kills for Morgan to give the hosts the 28-26 win and another come-from-behind set victory.
 
Morgan State hit for a set-best .300 in the third set, finishing with 13 kills on 30 attack attempts. The Bears used an 8-1 run, capped off by three service aces from Karrick to give Morgan an 11-3 lead, which it never looked back. Another kill by Karrick in the midst of a 5-0 Bears run, gave Morgan its largest lead of the set at 11 points (19-8).
 
The Bulldogs were led by Burge and Madison Adderley-Julien (.438), who each had seven kills. Burge also finished with a team-high 10 digs. Haley Pelham had 15 assists. Bowie State would out block the Bears, 7.0-1.0. Madyson Brinson had four blocks, including one solo and Edwards also added four blocks, including two solos.
 
Morgan State will now turn its focus to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) action for the remainder of the season. The Bears begin league play on Friday, Sept. 22 when they travel to Princess Anne, Md. to face Maryland Eastern Shore. First serve is at 6 p.m. at the Hytche Athletic Center.
 
 
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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.
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