Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 RICHMOND – A tremendous effort by UMBC Volleyball came up just short, as the Retrievers fell, 3-2, to the host Rams, 3-2, in the VCU Invitational.
VCU prevailed, 25-17, 26-28, 25-22, 9-25, 15-7.
Senior outside hitter
Kamani Conteh (New Castle, Del.) continued her outstanding play, leading all players with 28 kills. She hit .261 on 69 attempts.
Junior libero
Aysia Miller (Mililani, Hawaii) also led all players with 27 digs.
Sophomore outside hitter
Mia Bilusic posted a double-double with 11 kills and 15 digs, while freshman setter
Serin Maden contributed 40 assists. Red-shirt sophomore middle blocker
Michela De Marzi added nine kills and a team-best seven blocks.
The setback halted the Retrievers (5-4) winning streak at four. The five-set match was UMBC's third of the season (all in the last five matches), but the first loss in that scenario.
UMBC outblocked VCU, 13-10, but the Rams hit .421 in the final set to post the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Set 1: A 6-1 mid-game run by the Rams extended a 15-13 lead to 21-14 and propelled the hosts to a 25-16 victory.
- Set 2: The visitors responded by surging out to leads of 11-4 and 17-9, before the Rams rallied. UMBC led, 24-21, but VCU reeled off four consecutive points and held set points at 24-25 and 25-26. But a kill by Michela De Marzi and a pair from Conteh closed it out for the Retrievers in a 28-26 triumph.
- Set 3: VCU scored the set's first four points, but the Retrievers used a 7-2 run to earn their first of four one-point leads in the set. Trailing 21-17, De Marzi contributed a kill and a solo block to lead a 4-1 run, but the hosts scored three of the set's final four points to prevail, 25-22.
- Set 4: VCU won the first point of the set, then UMBC captured 17 of the next 20 and cruised to a 25-9 victory, forcing the deciding set. The Retrievers hit .357 and came up with 18 digs in the set.
- Set 5: UMBC opened the set brightly, scoring the first four points, but the Rams equalized that run and knotted the decider at 4-4. VCU extended the run to 11-1 and led, 11-5 and went on to the 15-7 victory.
Later in the day, UMBC was swept by UNC (25-23, 25-18, 25-16)
Conteh, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, led the way with 12 kills, four digs and a block.
Mila Ilieva had five blocks, while Bilusic added nine kills of her own. Maden had 28 assists and Miller finished with a team-best 11 digs.
UMBC travels to Coppin State on Tuesday.
