The UMBC volleyball squad (15-10) steps out of conference competition when they travel to Newark, Del. and take on the Delaware Blue Hens (11-12) on Thursday, Nov. 4. The match gets underway at the Carpenter Center at 6:00 p.m. The match will be broadcast on FloSports ($) and live stats will also be available. Fans can always follow the Retrievers on their Twitter site @umbcvolleyball.
RETRIEVER REVIEW
·       On Oct. 29, the UMBC volleyball team defeated visiting Hartford, 3-1, to wrap up the America East Conference regular season title and earn the right to host the league championships in three weeks. UMBC (15-10, 10-0) won its tenth consecutive match, tying a mark for the third-longest winning streak in school history.
·       Freshman outside hitter Mia Bilusic (Zagreb, Croatia) led all players with 20 kills, but she had plenty of help as three other Retrievers posted double figures in kills. Graduate student Grace Rigsbee (Suwanee, Ga.) contributed 15, while sophomore Aysia Miller (Mililani, Hawaii) and freshman Mila Ilieva (Vidin, Bulgaria) totaled 11 apiece.
·       UMBC has won 30 sets in America East play and dropped only 5.
 
HONORED
·       After having stand out performances in UMBC's win over Hartford, Andjelija Draskovic (Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia) and Loren Teter (Redondo Beach, Calif.) were named America East Setter and Defensive Specialist of the Week, respectively, for matches ending Oct. 31.
 
·       Draskovic had a career-high 56 assists in the four-set win as UMBC hit .421 on her sets. She also recorded 14 digs in the win. It was her fourth Setter of the Week honor in five weeks.
 
·       Teter accumulated 32 digs (8.0 per set) as she helped the Retrievers clinch the regular-season title, and led a defense that held the Hawks to .106 hitting percentage. It was Teter's league-high fifth Defensive Specialist of the Week this season and sixth overall.
 
NOTES AND STATS

• UMBC has won ten consecutive matches, all in America East competition, posting their longest winning streak since an 11-match surge in 2000.

·       The ten-match winning streak ties the mark of the 1998 squad, which hit the double digit mark in consecutive wins. The 2000 and 1996 teams each share the school record with 11 consecutive match victories.
 
·       UMBC leads America East in opponent hitting percentage (.157) and digs per set (16.7).
 
·       Bilusic has raced up to second place in kills per set in America East with 3.51. Draskovic has taken a similar course and is now second in assists per set at 9.14.
 
·       Sophomore Beste Ayhan (Istanbul, Turkey) is tied for ninth nationally with 114 blocks.
 
·       Teter stands second in the conference with 4.62 digs per set.
 
A GLANCE AT DELAWARE  
·       The Blue Hens are 11-12 on the season and 6-8 in the CAA. They just dropped a pair at a strong Towson side, falling by 3-1 and 3-2 scores on Friday and Sunday respectively.     
 
·       The two squads have played only one common opponent, and neither side dropped a set in matches versus NJIT.
 
·       Delaware is 6-3 at home this season.
 
·       Junior OH Lauryn Richardson led UD with 14 kills versus the Tigers. Junior Lani Mason leads the team with 3.3 kills per set on the campaign. Like UMBC's Beste Ayhan, UD setter Ezgi Basaranlar also hails from Istanbul and is one of the CAA's top setters, averaging 9.4 per set.
 
·       This will be the 36th meeting between the Retrievers and Blue Hens and UD owns a 28-7 lead in the series. Delaware has won six in a row, triumphing 3-1 in the last meeting in September 2019. UMBC's last win occurred in 2005, a 3-2 triumph in Newark.
 
UP NEXT
UMBC plays its final regular season home match on Sunday, Nov. 7 when the UAlbany Great Danes visit the Chesapeake Arena.