Morgan State Closes Non-Conference Schedule With 3-1 Loss to UNC Asheville
Morgan State volleyball opened strong but could not maintain the momentum as UNC Asheville rallied for a 3-1 victory Saturday morning at the Bobcat Invitational in Athens, Ohio. The Bears won a tight opening set, 26-24, before the Bulldogs responded with victories of 25-19, 25-17 and 25-21 at Ohio University’s Convocation Center. The loss concluded Morgan State’s 2026 non-conference schedule with the Bears at 1-11.
Morgan State entered Saturday looking to salvage a victory from a difficult weekend that also included losses to host Ohio and Mercyhurst. The Bears showed plenty of fight against a UNC Asheville team that entered the match with 11 victories, but the Bulldogs eventually used their offensive balance, serving and blocking to take control. UNC Asheville finished the match with 50 kills, 12 service aces and 11 total blocks while improving to 12-3.
Williams Leads Morgan State Attack
Jada Williams delivered one of Morgan State’s best individual performances of the tournament. Williams recorded a team-high 14 kills, three service aces, eight digs and four blocks, providing production in nearly every phase of the match. Her three aces were also a match high.
Setter Isabelle Brown continued her productive weekend by recording a match-high 28 assists along with eight digs, one ace and one block. Brown also contributed five kills and hit a team-best .444. Her performance throughout the Bobcat Invitational later earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team after she totaled 79 assists, 26 digs, nine kills, four aces and two blocks across Morgan State’s three matches.
Kira DeVrieze paced Morgan State defensively with nine digs. The Bears needed that defensive effort against an Asheville attack that featured several productive hitters and became increasingly efficient as the match progressed.
Bears Take Dramatic Opening Set
Morgan State showed its ability to compete with the Bulldogs immediately. The opening set developed into a back-and-forth battle before the Bears made the plays they needed late to pull out a 26-24 victory. Taking the first set gave Morgan State a 1-0 match advantage and an opportunity to put significant pressure on Asheville.
It was an encouraging response from a Morgan State team that had already played twice Friday. Ohio defeated the Bears 3-1 in Friday morning’s tournament opener before Mercyhurst handed Morgan State a 3-0 loss later that afternoon. Despite the demanding schedule and previous results, Morgan State came out Saturday ready to challenge an Asheville team that had put together an impressive start to its season.
Asheville, however, quickly regrouped.
Bulldogs Respond in Second Set
The second set featured 10 ties and four lead changes, illustrating how competitive the match remained after Morgan State’s opening-set victory. Neither side could establish much separation until Albertine van der Goot recorded a kill that broke a 12-12 tie. Asheville took the lead from there and did not give it back.
The Bulldogs eventually won the set 25-19 to even the match at one set apiece. Asheville produced 15 kills against five errors on 32 attempts during the frame, good for a .312 hitting percentage. That offensive efficiency represented a major shift after Morgan State had successfully battled through the opening set.
Morgan State now needed to find a way to slow Asheville’s increasingly balanced attack. The Bulldogs instead carried that momentum directly into the third set.
Asheville Takes Control
A Morgan State service error helped Asheville move in front during the third set, and the Bulldogs never trailed afterward. Asheville steadily created separation before taking the set 25-17 and moving ahead 2-1 in the match.
Morgan State’s margin for error became increasingly small because Asheville could generate points from several areas. The Bulldogs finished the entire match hitting .200 with 50 kills on 130 attacks. Morgan State also had to deal with Asheville’s aggressive serving, which generated 12 aces, and a front line that finished with 11 total blocks.
The Bears still had an opportunity to force a fifth set, but Asheville quickly established another advantage in the fourth.
Morgan State’s Late Rally Falls Short
After an early 1-1 tie, Asheville jumped ahead 5-2 and remained in front for the rest of the fourth set. The Bulldogs eventually doubled Morgan State at 14-7, putting the Bears in a difficult position as they attempted to extend the match.
Morgan State did not go away quietly. The Bears made a late push and forced Asheville to respond before the Bulldogs received important kills from Leah Okogbenin and Sarah Wadsworth. Lydia Pate followed with consecutive kills late in the set as Asheville completed a 25-21 victory and secured the match.
Wadsworth led Asheville with 15 kills while adding two aces, five digs and two block contributions. Pate was particularly efficient with 11 kills and a .500 hitting percentage while also contributing six total block involvements. Van der Goot added another 11 kills for an Asheville offense that had three players reach double figures.
Asheville also received 22 assists from Olivia Callipo and 20 from Elise Jensen. Catherine Hubiak matched her career high with 17 digs, while Jensen and Madi Connelly each produced three service aces. That depth ultimately became difficult for Morgan State to overcome over four sets.
Non-Conference Schedule Comes to an End
The loss completed a challenging non-conference portion of Morgan State’s schedule. The Bears finished their Bobcat Invitational appearance with three losses, falling 3-1 to Ohio, 3-0 to Mercyhurst and 3-1 to UNC Asheville. Despite the results, Morgan State managed to win the opening set against both Ohio and Asheville and was competitive throughout all three sets against Mercyhurst.
Those stretches showed Morgan State can compete when its offense is in rhythm, but closing sets and maintaining that level for an entire match remained an issue during the weekend. Against Mercyhurst, for example, Morgan State held advantages in kills, assists and digs but still lost in straight sets. Against Asheville, the Bears again demonstrated their potential by winning the first set before the Bulldogs controlled much of the final three.
The focus now shifts completely to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference competition. Morgan State’s conference schedule was set to begin on the road against Norfolk State on Sept. 25, followed by a home match against Howard at Hill Field House. The conference slate also includes North Carolina Central, South Carolina State, Delaware State and crosstown rival Coppin State.
MSB Take
Morgan State’s 1-11 non-conference record is difficult, but there were encouraging stretches during the Bobcat Invitational that the Bears can build on in MEAC play. Taking the first set against an Asheville team that improved to 12-3 showed Morgan State has enough offensive ability to challenge a quality opponent. Williams’ 14-kill performance and Brown’s continued production at setter were particularly positive developments.
The biggest issue remains sustaining that performance across an entire match. Morgan State won opening sets against both Ohio and Asheville but lost the next three in each match, while the Mercyhurst match featured several opportunities the Bears could not finish. Conference play gives Morgan State a fresh phase of the season, and converting competitive stretches into complete matches will be critical if the Bears want different results in the MEAC.
