BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 10, 2024)--On Tuesday morning the Morgan State Bears triumphed over the Bowie State Lady Bulldogs in a non-conference matchup at Hill Field House. The match showcased Maryland's two oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Bowie State (1865) and Morgan State (1867) battling it out. In the end, a strong performance by Morgan State helped the Bears secure a 3-0 (25-14, 30-28, 25-21) victory.
 
Morgan State improved to 1-7 with the victory, while Bowie State dropped to 1-4.
 
The Bears dominated the first set, recording 10 kills and hitting a set-best .300, while holding the guests to just three kills and a -.056 attack percentage. Mya Karrick kickstarted the set with three service aces, helping the Bears jump out to a commanding 6-0 lead. Morgan would close out the set on the serve of Addison Metts, as back-to-back kills by Daniela Ferreira and Madison Grace gave the Bears the 25-14 victory.
 
In the second set, the Bears needed to come from behind to earn the win. Sophomore Jada Williams would play a crucial role, contributing five kills, including two pivotal ones to close out the set. Bowie State used a 3-0 run to break a 21 all tie to take a 24-21 lead, following an attack error on Morgan State. The Bears countered with a 3-0 spurt to even the score at 24. The teams would trade points, until the Bears closed out the set scoring the final three straight points. Grace evened the score at 28 with a kill and Williams closed it out with back-to-back kills for the 30-28 win.
 
Bowie took a 3-0 lead in Set 3, but the Bears countered with a 10-4 run to take a 10-7 advantage. Morgan would hold a 16-11 lead after a service ace from Piper Newton. The Lady Bulldogs countered with a 6-1 spurt to even the score at 17 apiece. Morgan State would use a 6-1 run to take a 23-18 lead, which it would not relinquish and eventually win 25-21.  
 
The Bears concluded the match with an impressive overall performance, finishing with 40 kills, 35 assists, and 33 digs. Led by freshman Selah Brashear, who finished with a match-high four service aces, Morgan would record 12 aces as a team. Senior Addison Metts, named Player of the Game, showcased her versatility by playing all three sets, hit .333 and finished with 12 kills and seven digs. Erin Carpenter tallied a match-high 14 assists and Karrick added 12.
 
Bowie State's Nina Edwards turned in a standout performance, recording six kills with a hitting percentage of .400. Her contributions were complemented by teammate Trinity Loundmon, who added 12 assists and six digs.
 
The Bears will head to Philadelphia, Pa., this weekend for the Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse Square Penn Invitational (Sept. 13-14), hosted by the University of Pennsylvania. Morgan will face Le Moyne in its first match on Friday, Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. The Bears will then take on Manhattan on Saturday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m., before closing out the tournament against host Penn at 5 p.m.
 
 
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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.