The UMBC volleyball squad plays its second match of three straight at home on Friday evening, Sept. 9 when the Retrievers (2-3) host the James Madison Dukes (4-2). The match gets underway at Chesapeake Arena at 6:00 p.m., but please be in your seats early, as the Retriever volleyball program will reveal the 2021 Championship banner before the first serve.
The match will be streamed live on the America East digital network.
RETRIEVER NOTEBOOK
·       A career-performance from Delaware-nativeÂ
Kamani Conteh helped lead the UMBC Volleyball team to a five-set victory over Delaware (25-20, 25-22, 24-26, 18-25, 15-8) in the home opener on Sept. 4.
·       It was the first win for the Retrievers over the Blue Hens in 17 years, and the first home win over UD since 1996.
·       Conteh recorded a career-high 27 kills on a blistering .364 hitting in the match. She also reset her career-high for digs with 16.
·      Â
Aysia Miller posted a career-high 30 digs in the match. It was just the 17th time a Retriever recorded 30 digs in a match in the 50 years of program history.
·       For the second-consecutive week, freshmanÂ
Serin MadenÂ
was named America East Setter of the Week. In addition, Miller was tabbed as the Defensive Specialist of the Week.
·       Maden averaged 10.89 assists per set as the team hit .377 in a 1-1 week. She posted career-high 53 assists with four digs in five-set win over Delaware, and had double-double of 45 assists and 10 digs in four-set loss to American.
·       UMBC currently leads America East in assists (12.21) and kills (13.1) per set.
·       Sophomore
Mia Bilusic (4.84) and Conteh (4.05) are 1-2 in the league in kills per set. Bilusic is also tops in services aces (0.84),s while Maden is far and away the leader in assists at 10.53 assists per set through 19 sets in 2022.
·       Miller is averaging a league-best 4.37 digs per set as she has debuted as libero. Miller opened her UMBC tenure as the team's primary setter in the spring of 2021 (winning America East Setter of the Year) and competed as an outside hitter last fall.
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A GLANCE AT THE DUKES Â
·       James Madison is 4-2 on the season and just snapped a two-game slide with a thrilling five-set win at Florida A&M on Sept. 3. Junior outside hitterÂ
Miëtte Veldman tied her season high with 22 kills and senior setter Caroline Dozier tallied a season-high 49 assists versus the Rattlers. Â
·       JMU opened the campaign with a 3-1 win over the America East's UAlbany.
·       Veldmann has more than double the number of kills (93) than the No. 2 hitter (Sophie Davis) on the roster. She is hitting a robust .325.  Â
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
·       James Madison leads the all-time series, 11-7, but the two teams have not competed since 2018. Â
·       The Dukes have won the last three matches (2012, 2015, 2018), dating back to a UMBC victory in 2009.  Â
·       JMU has also won the past three matches played in Baltimore. UMBC's last win on Hilltop Circle occurred in 1995.
UP NEXT
UMBC hosts Niagara on Sunday at the Chesapeake Arena. The match gets underway at 2:00 p.m.Â