BALTIMORE, MD. – The UMBC volleyball
split its first two games of the season, dropping its
season-opening match to local rival Towson, 3-0, before sweeping
Coppin State, on Friday at the first day of the Battle at the Bay
at Morgan State's Hill Field House.
Against the Coppin State, UMBC (1-1) used a balanced attack to
pick up its first win of the year. Making her first
career start, freshman Paige Miller (Reading,
Pa./Schuylkill Valley) recorded 26 assists as five Retrievers
registered at least five kills.
After dropping the first point of the contest, UMBC rallied
quickly to take seven of the next nine, streaking to an early 7-3
lead behind two kills apiece from freshman Sherelle
Walker (New Freedom, Pa./Susquahannock) and junior Emily
Witsaman (Media, Ohio/Media). After Coppin got back
within two at 8-6, the Retrievers ran to another big lead, this one
an eight point advantage, 15-7. The Eagles reeled them
in again to tie the set at 18 but UMBC pulled out the big points,
winning the set 25-22 on a kill from senior Ali
Loynachan (Whitby, Ontario/Sinclair).
Set two proved to be the opposite from the opening frame as the
teams could not separate themselves in the early going, tying for
the final time at 10. The Black and Gold then won four
straight points, and ten out of 12 to take a commanding lead,
20-12, capped by a kill by sophomore Krystal
Mlemchukwu (Baltimore, Md./Western Tech). UMBC
closed out the set seven points later on an attack error to take a
2-0 set lead with a 25-14 set win.
After early resistance from Coppin State, the Retriever put the
contest beyond reach in the third with a 9-2 run putting the score
at 14-6. UMBC then held the Eagles at bay, not allowing
them any closer than eight points and closed out the match with a
25-14 win in the third.
In the first contest of the day, Schmidt notched her first
double-double of the season, leading UMBC with a team-high ten
kills and 11 digs. Meanwhile, Walker made her collegiate
debut by registering nine kills.
Dayane Van Ass paced Towson with 14 kills with Katy Buck just
behind with 11.
Towson jumped out to the early lead in the first set, claiming a
4-1 lead following a block. The Retrievers responded
right away, however, winning 11 of the next 12 points, including
three kills by Schmidt, to take a 12-5 advantage. The
Tigers then chipped away, whittling the UMBC lead down to three,
19-16, before tying the set at 22. The teams then went
back and forth before Towson won the set, 27-25, with two straight
UMBC attack errors.
The second set was tight throughout as the squads were knotted
nine times, the last one coming at 19 all. Neither team
built a lead larger than two in the set until Towson won six of the
final eight points to take the set, 25-21.
Towson continued its roll into the final set, winning the first
nine points to build an insurmountable lead. Following
back-to-back UMBC blocks, the second one by Walker and Emily, the
Retrievers pulled within seven, 17-10, but could get no closer as
Towson took the contest with a 25-17 third set victory.
Junior Mallory McIntyre (Winnepeg, Manitoba/St. Mary's
Academy) led UMBC with 28 assists while classmate Ali
Goc (Oshawa, Ontario/R.S. McLaughlin) recorded a eight
digs.
The Retrievers return to the court tonight to take on tournament
host Morgan State at 5 p.m. to conclude day one. UMBC
then returns on Saturday to take on Coppin State and St.
John's.
DAWG BITES
- With
a win in the second contest, the Retrievers remain unbeaten against
Coppin State and improved their all-time record to 13-0-1 against
the Eagles.
- UMBC
is now 32-38-1 against Towson in the program's longest running
series which dates back to 1973.
- The
Retrievers have now dropped six consecutive contests against the
Tigers.
- The
first match pitted former Mount de Sales teammates,
2010 Baltimore Sun Player of the Year Hannah
Schmidt and 2009 Sun Player of the Year Katy Buck,
against one another.
