Baltimore, MD – Seniors Marissa Duncan (Ellicott City, Md./Mt. Hebron) and Ashley Ramos (Orlando, Fl./Liberty/Monroe JC) paced the UMBC Volleyball team (14-11, 6-5 America East) to a sweep of UMass Lowell (25-23, 25-22, 25-13) at the RAC on Friday night.

Duncan recorded six aces in the match, which is the fifth most in a three-set match in the nation this season, while Ramos recorded a team-high 11 kills on .333 hitting.

UMass Lowell (5-20, 0-11 AE) opened the first set with an 8-1 run, but the Retrievers slowly fought their way back into the set.  UMBC took their first lead of the set on a block from Brooke Hayden (Mt. Airy, Md./Linganore) and Franchesca Reed (Aurora, Colo./Grand View).

UMass Lowell would retake the lead at 20-19, but the Retrievers would go on a 6-3 run to close out the set, including three kills from Ramos and one kill from sophomore Taylor Dunn (Virginia Beach, Va./Frank W. Cox).

The second set was tight throughout, with neither team holding a lead of more than three points during the set.  UMBC went on a decisive 6-0 run late in the set, to put them up 20-17.  The run featured a kill from both Paola Rojas (San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico/Notre Dame) and Krytsia Negron (San Juan, Puerto Rico/Colegio Adianez), and two aces from Taylor Alexander (Detroit, Mich./Detroit Country Day School).

Back-to-back kills from Ramos and Duncan would seal the set for the Retrievers.

UMBC held the lead in the third set from wire-to-wire, opening the set on a 6-1 run.  The Retrievers began to pull away midway through the set after three consecutive aces from Duncan to put them up 15-8.

A 10-4 run for UMBC would close out the set and the match, ending with a kill from Hayden.

Junior libero Kristin Watson (Bowie, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt) recorded a match-high 16 digs.

UMBC will return to action on Sunday afternoon against New Hampshire.  Before the match, the Retrievers will celebrate their two seniors, Duncan and Ramos, for their last match at the RAC.