The UMBC volleyball squad and Head Coach Kasey Crider and staff make their 2022 home debut on Sunday, Sept. 4 when they host the Delaware Blue Hens. The match gets underway at 2:00 p.m. at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena and will be streamed live on the America East digital network.

RETRIEVER REVIEW
·       UMBC (1-3) continued to show its mettle against high-caliber foes in the 3-1 loss at American. The 25-22 loss in the first set was the widest margin of victory for either side in the four-set encounter.
·       The Retrievers held a 19-16 lead in the crucial third set, but the Eagles finished on a 9-4 run.  
·       Mia Bilusic was brilliant in D.C., producing a match-best 25 kills on .292 to go with a career-best six aces. The sophomore also added seven digs, two blocks and two assists.
·       Newcomer Serin Maden continued her impressive to start to her career, as the freshman setter finished the match with her first career double-double, picking up 45 assists and a career-high 10 digs. She also added two blocks and two aces.
·       Bilusic is averaging 5.2 kills per set and is hitting .242. Maden is posting 10.5 assists per set through 14 sets in 2022.

NOTES
·       Junior Aysia Miller is averaging a team-best 3.7 digs per set as she has debuted as libero. Miller opened her UMBC as the team's primary setter in the spring of 2021 and competed as an outside hitter last fall.
 
A GLANCE AT THE BLUE HENS
·       Delaware is 1-2 prior to playing at American on Saturday. After opening losses versus Temple (3-2) and Seton Hall (3-1) in Philadelphia, UD blanked GW, 3-0, in the home opener on August 31.
·       Senior outside hitter Lani Mason led the way with 12 kills vs. GW, helping Kimberly Lambert to her first head coaching with the program.
·       Delaware posted a 15-13 record a season ago. 

THE ALL-TIME SERIES
·       This will be the 37th meeting between the Retrievers and Blue Hens and UD owns a 29-7 lead in the series. Delaware has won seven in a row, triumphing 3-0 in Newark last November. That was UMBC's last setback until the NCAA loss at Pitt.
·       Mia Bilusic led the Retrievers with 11 kills in the match.
·       UMBC's last win in the series occurred in 2005, a 3-2 triumph in Newark.

UP NEXT
·       UMBC continues its three-game homestand with matches versus JMU (Sept. 9) and Niagara (Sept. 11) next weekend.