HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (Aug. 29, 2015)--Jada Williams tallied a match-high 10 kills and Daniela Ferreira added eight to lead the Bears to a 3-0 (25-11, 25-13, 25-14) season opening sweep over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the opener of the Betty Austin Invitational at Elmore Gymnasium.
 
The win was Morgan State's first season opening victory since a 3-2 win over Seton Hall in 2019.
 
"I'm just feeling really grateful to be on the court with this group of girls. It is such a special group," said Williams, who also recorded a team-high four straight service aces in the second set. "Taking the win for our first match is something very exciting for our program. This gives us some momentum going into our next games."
 
The Bears also improved to 2-0 all-time against the Lions and extended their winning streak in matches against the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to 11-0.
 
"It is awesome that we can continue the tradition of overcoming our SWAC opponents," added Williams. "I'm ready to bring the fire for the rest of the tournament."
 
Morgan State, which hit .487 with 45 kills, also got seven kills each from newcomers Hanna Nemeth and Zayda Thomas, while Isabelle Brown recorded a match-high 31 assists in her Morgan debut.
 
Defensively, the Bears were paced by Nemeth and Ferreira, who each totaled a match-leading eight digs. Nemeth also finished with two assisted blocks and Aubrey Wilson added two blocks, including a solo block. Morgan State would hold a 4.0-0.0 blocking advantage over the Lions.
 
Morgan jumped on UAPB early, recording a set-best 19 kills and a set-high .515 hitting percentage in the first set. The Bears were limited to just 10 kills, but committed just one error, while recording a .474 hitting percentage in the second set, before closing out the match with 16 kills and a hitting percentage of .464.
 
UAPB finished the contest with 21 kills and hit .055 for the match. Haley Reeves and Amayah Jones each tallied a team-high five kills in the loss.
 
The Bears return to the court later this evening to take on host Alabama A&M at 8 p.m. EST.
 
 
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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.