The UMBC volleyball team opens the defense of the 2020-21 America East title when it welcomes Stony Brook to the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on Saturday, Sept. 25. The opening serve will take place at 1:00 p.m. and the match will be streamed on the America East digital network.

RETRIEVER REVIEW

• With the match tied at a set apiece, visiting Coppin State rallied to win a tight third set and went on to defeat UMBC (5-10), 3-1, at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena on Monday.
• Retriever freshman Mia Bilusic (Zagreb, Croatia) continued her outstanding play, putting away a season-best 22 kills.
• UMBC was coming off a 2-1 Thursday/Friday series at matches at the Mountaineer Invitational. The Retrievers swept Robert Morris and GW, and fell to the host WVU squad.  

 HONORED

·         Bilusic was named the America East Player and Rookie of the Week after her efforts at the Mountaineer Invitational. She led UMBC with 44 kills, averaging 4.88 per set and also recorded 20 digs to help the Retrievers to a pair of wins. 

·         Sophomore Beste Ayhan (Istanbul, Turkey) earned All-Tournament Team honors at TCU's Cowtown Classic.  

·         Loren Teter (Redondo Beach, Calif.) has earned America East Defensive Specialist of the Week honors on August 31 and Sept. 14.She was also selected to the Homewood Suites FGCU Invitational All-Tournament Team.  

NOTABLE

·         Bilusic's recent surge has moved her into a tie for second place in kills per set (3.04) in America East.

·         Ayhan leads the conference in total blocks (66) and is third in hitting percentage (.299).

·         Teter is tied for second in digs per set (4.24).

·         The Retrievers lead the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.194) and digs per set (15.5).

·         UMBC is 1-2 in five-set matches this year, but have not gone the distance since edging UTRGV on Sept. 2.

A GLANCE AT THE SEAWOLVES

·         The Seawolves concluded non-conference play with a mark of 6-8. Most recently, they took two of three matches at the Maryland Tournament in College Park. SBU edged Columbia, 3-1, and Akron, 3-2, but were swept, 3-0, by the host Terrapins.

·         Sophomore setter Torri Henry was tabbed the America East Setter of the Week after her performance in the tournament in College Park and a prior match versus St. John's. She dished out a total of 145 assists and 9.06 assists per set over the course of a four-match week. Henry leads the conference in assists per set and is second in services aces (0.4).

·         Sophomore OH Leoni Kunz averages 3.04 kills per set to lead the SBU offense. Kunz and Bulisic both have 155 kills in 51 sets of action and are tied for second in America East in kills per set.

·         Local product Enitan Omolewa (Laurel, Md./Reservoir) is second in the league in blocks per set (0.74).

·         Stony Brook leads the conference in hitting percentage (.223), assists (11.7), kills per set (12.8), and service aces per set (1.5)

·         SBU was picked to finish fourth in the pre-season poll, but just two votes (27-25) behind second place co-selections UMBC and UNH.

ALL-TIME SERIES

·         The Retrievers opened their 2020-21 spring schedule with back-to-back 3-2 decisions over Stony Brook on Long Island in March. Sophomore Aysia Miller (Mililani, Hawaii) amassed 102 assists in the ten sets and added 23 digs in the second match. Junior Emily Ferketic (Pittsburgh, Pa.) amassed 17 kills and hit .326 as UMBC prevailed in the back end of the weekend doubleheader.

·         UMBC has now beaten SBU three consecutive times after the Seawolves took five straight in the highly competitive series. Stony Brook holds a 20-17 series lead.

UP NEXT

UMBC travels to New Hampshire and Hartford for America East matches on Oct. 1 and 3.