The UMBC Volleyball team returns to The Peake to host NJIT and New Hampshire this weekend to close the home portion of the regular season. 

Friday night against NJIT will be Senior Night as the program will honor Serin Maden prior to the 5 p.m. match. Sunday's Alumni Appreciation Match against New Hampshire will be at 1 p.m.

For the sixth time this season, UMBC Volleyball junior libero Hannah Howard  was named the America East Defensive Specialist of the Week, the Conference announced on Tuesday morning. 

 Howard had 22 digs and three assists in only four sets in the win at Bryant, which was the Bulldogs first home AE loss of the season. The Retrievers also snapped MEAC leader Coppin State's 10-match winning streak, and she anchored defense that held opponents to .171 hitting combined in both matches. The Inwood, West Virginia native was 48/48 in serve receive for the week as well.

 Hannah Dobbs had 16 kills on .368 hitting with only two errors to lead the UMBC Volleyball team to a four set win over host Bryant (22-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-13) on Sunday to move into first place in the America East. 

Dobbs, who also added eight digs two blocks and an ace in the victory, was joined in double-digit kills by Jalynn Brown (10 kills). Helen Frankovich was nearly flawless on the say, as she tallied seven kills on .538 hitting with no errors and three blocks. Brown filled the stats sheet as well, finishing with seven digs, three blocks and two aces on the day.

Maden's service game continues to fluster opponents as the senior tallied five aces to go with her 25 assists.

Coming off a massive match on Wednesday, sophomore Laura Fuehrer had a match-best five blocks (two solo) to go with four kills, while classmate Claudia Llamas was everywhere on the court as she finished with eight kills, three digs, two aces, a block and an assist.

Izzy Ostvig added 16 assists, three kills (no errors), three blocks and three digs, and Ella McAllister came off the bench for five digs as a defensive specialist. Molly Penn finished with an ace and a dig as well.

Scouting NJIT:

• The Highlanders fell in five sets to Binghamton on Sunday
• The Highlanders opened the match with an exciting set win that included seven ties and two lead changes. The Highlanders' offensive approach had Binghamton off balanced and out of rhythm.
• However, after the first set the Bearcats were able to respond with their strong attack and secured sets two and three.
• Despite dropping sets two and three, the Highlanders stormed back in the fourth set, hitting an impressive .387 to force a decisive fifth set. Binghamton's attack proved too much down the stretch as the Bearcats sealed the win 15-9 in the final frame.
• Leading the way for the Highlanders was Sophomore Martina Gonzalo Cortes led the team with 15 kills and 16 points and freshman Emma Wild recorded a double-double with 12 kills and a team-high 17 digs.
• Sophomore Ema Torres finished second on the team with 13 kills and tied Wild for second most points with 14.

Scouting New Hampshire:

• UNH fell to Bryant 3-1 on Friday (Oct. 31) evening at Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, R.I. The set scores were 17-25, 20-25, 25-20, and 24-26.
• Nine different players logged a kill in the loss, paced by an 11 kill, 16 dig double-double from freshman Lucy Chertock (Danville, Calif.), posting team-highs in both categories.
• Additionally, junior Jessica Shattles (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) contributed 16 assists and 15 digs, logging her sixth-straight double-double and tenth of the season, while sophomore Ellery Singleton (Menlo Park, Calif.) posted nine of her own.
• Defensively, freshman Dylan Hunt (Pickerington, Ohio) logged 13 digs.