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BALTIMORE – There's no place like home.
After eight matches and several thousand miles travelled, the UMBC volleyball team finally took their home floor at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena and knocked off a feisty Quinnipiac squad, 3-1, in the Charm City Challenge, presented by Sir Speedy.
UMBC (2-7) dominated the odd-numbered sets, cruising past the Bobcats, 25-13 and 25-17 in sets one and three respectively. But Quinnipiac (1-6) eeked out a 26-24 victory in set two and led, 23-20, late in the fourth set. However, three kills by freshman Kira Givans (Sacramento, Calif.), including one smash from the left side on match point, capped a 5-0 UMBC rally as they went on to a 25-23 fourth set triumph.
Givans, appearing in just her third match of the season, co-starred along with sophomore Aysia MIllier (Miliani, Hawaii) for the defending America East Conference champions. Givans recorded 14 kills and just one error, hitting 59.1 percent. Miller, a standout setter for UMBC, was moved to an outside hitter role, and responded with a team-best 15 kills and 15 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Retrievers held Quinnipiac to a hitting percentage of -.056 in a 25-13 first set rout. UMBC extended an early 6-5 lead to 13-6 and cruised to a first-set win.
- QU built a 19-13 lead, but UMBC rallied to knot the score at 22, 23 and 24 before the visitors scored the final two points to even the match.
- With the third set score knotted at 8-all, junior setter Andjelija Draskovic (Vrnjacka Banja, Serbia) recorded a kill to start a 10-3 run and UMBC moved to a two sets to one lead.
- With the fourth set score tied at 13-all, two kills by Miller and one for freshman Mia Bilusic (Zagreb, Croatia) provided UMBC with a 16-13 lead. But QU outscored UMBC, 10-4, and seemed on the verge on sending the match to a decider before Givans-led heroics.
STAT CHECK
- UMBC outhit QU, 27.3 to 9.6 percent and enjoyed a blocking advantage of 14-8.
- Givans entered the match with zero kills on six total attacks.
- Bilusic also reached double figures in kills with 13.
- Draskovic, who had only played in three matches and posted two total assist to date, amassed 44 assists and added 13 digs.
The Retrievers will unveil their 2020-21 championship banners before this evening's 7:00 p.m. contest versus Howard.
