UMBC Volleyball (7-5) opens up America East Conference play on Saturday, Oct. 1 as league newcomer Bryant (10-7) visits Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena. The action gets underway at 1:00 p.m. and the game broadcast is available on the America East Digital Network.
UMBC will wear pink uniforms during the match to support the fight against breast cancer.
RETRIEVER NOTEBOOK
· Sophomore Mia Bilusic was nearly perfect, finishing with 23 kills on .500 hitting with only one error and added 13 digs to lead the UMBC Volleyball team to four set victory over visiting American (25-22, 25-22, 18-25, 25-14) on Wednesday night.
· The Retrievers hit .319 for the match as they ended a 12-match losing streak to American, picking up their first victory over the Eagles since 1996.
· UMBC enters conference play with a 6-2 mark in their last eight matches.
· Junior libero Aysia Miller was tabbed the America East Defensive Specialist of the Week, the Conference announced on Tuesday. Miller finished with 21 digs (5.25 per set), six assists and two aces against Coppin State. This is Miller's second #AEVB Defensive Specialist of the Week honor.
· Kamani Conteh was named America East Player of the Week on Sept. 20, prior to the match at Coppin State. She averaged 4.67 kills per set and hit .235 over three matches at the VCU Invitational.
· Serin Maden earned three consecutive America East Setter of the Week honors, while Bilusic was tabbed as the Player of the Week on September 13.
· UMBC currently leads America East in assists (12.54) and kills (13.54) per set.
· Conteh (4.46) and Bilusic (4.40) and are 1-2 in the league in kills per set. Bilusic is also tops in services aces (0.56), while Maden is far and away the leader in assists at 10.71 assists per set through 44 sets in 2022.
· Through matches of Sept. 27, Bilusic was 13th in the nation in services aces per set, while Maden was 29h in assists per set.
· UMBC has won 15 consecutive regular season America East matches and 18 in a row versus league foes entering the match versus Bryant.
A GLANCE AT THE BULLDOGS
? Bryant will make its America East debut after posting a 10-7 non-conference mark to date in 2022. The Bulldogs were 12-2 in Northeast Conference play a year ago, but fell in the NEC title match versus Sacred Heart.
? The Bulldogs have a couple of impressive victories this season, knocking off Rhode Island and Syracuse in a four-day span in mid-September. They are coming off a heartbreaking 3-2 decision at Boston College on September 28.
? Bryant is second in America East with 12.16 kills per set. Aubrey Lapour leads a balanced attack with 2.63 kills per set, good for eighth place in America East.
? The two programs have met once, back in 2015, and UMBC captured a 3-1 victory on a neutral floor at UConn.
UP NEXT
UMBC competes at America East foe Binghamton on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7:00 p.m.
