WEST HARTFORD, Conn.—The UMBC volleyball
team (11-8, 1-3 AE) dropped its third five-set match in its last
four outings, falling at America East rival Hartford (10-10, 1-2
AE), 25-18, 17-25, 25-19, 23-25, 8-15 Friday evening.
Senior setter Allie
Spaay (Kenosha, Wis./Kenosha Tremper) recorded
her seventh straight double-double with a game-high 49 assists and
a team-best 14 digs, while junior Ali
Loynachan (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair) also notched
a double-double of 11 kills and 13 digs.
Freshman Dalton
Tolliver (Ortonville, Mich./Notre Dame Prep) led
the Retrievers with 16 kills, while sophomore Emily
Vandegrift (Leesburg, Va./Loudoun County) had 15.
In addition, senior Iman
Kennedy (Charlotte, N.C./Independence) hit a
team-best .273 with seven kills and five blocks.
The Retrievers hit .412 in the first set to defeat the Hawks,
25-18, but Hartford hit .417 in set two to win with a nearly
identical score, 25-17. After UMBC took the third set, 25-19, the
Hawks took command in set four, opening a 14-6 advantage. But the
Retrievers battled all the way back to take a 23-21 lead before
Hartford rattled off the final four points to force a fifth set,
which the Hawks led from the start and eventually won, 15-8.
UMBC out-hit Hartford for the match, .202 to .187.
The Retrievers return to action on Sunday, when they visit
America East rival New Hampshire.
