Morgan State Volleyball Rallies Past Norfolk State, 3-1, to Win MEAC Opener
By Brian Hradsky
The Morgan State Bears opened Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play exactly how they needed to Friday night, overcoming an opening-set loss to defeat the Norfolk State Spartans, 3-1, at Gill Gymnasium in Norfolk, Virginia. Morgan State captured the final three sets to earn a 20-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-23 victory and improve to 2-11 overall and 1-0 in MEAC competition.
The victory meant considerably more than simply starting conference play 1-0. Morgan State entered Friday having lost eight consecutive matches overall and seven straight visits to Norfolk State. The Bears ended both streaks while demonstrating an ability to respond after dropping the first set and facing another late deficit in the fourth.
Morgan State finished with a narrow .121-to-.120 advantage in hitting percentage, but the Bears created separation in several other areas. Morgan State recorded 47 kills compared with 35 for Norfolk State and held a 12-9 advantage in service aces. Norfolk State won the battle at the net with 11 blocks compared with seven for Morgan State, but the Bears consistently found ways to generate points when they needed them.
Norfolk State Controls Opening Set
Norfolk State established itself early despite Morgan State initially building an 11-7 advantage. Back-to-back service aces from Isabelle Brown helped the Bears create the four-point cushion, but the Spartans responded with five consecutive points and moved ahead 13-12.
Gabrielle Gilbert then helped Norfolk State seize control. With the opening set tied at 14, Gilbert served during a four-point Spartans run that included one of her four service aces, a block from Briana Ellis and a Gilbert kill. Norfolk State moved ahead 17-14 and never surrendered the advantage.
Gilbert closed the set with consecutive kills to give Norfolk State a 25-20 victory and a 1-0 match lead. The Spartans produced 15 kills and hit .273 during the opening set, while Morgan State managed only seven kills and hit .042. The Bears needed a substantial offensive improvement to prevent the match from getting away from them.
Morgan State Answers in Second
That improvement came immediately.
Morgan State opened the second set with a 4-1 advantage and eventually extended its lead to 11-6. Tyrah Weems played a significant role in the strong start, producing three kills as Morgan State began finding openings in the Norfolk State defense.
The Bears eventually built a 20-14 lead, but Norfolk State refused to let them comfortably close the set. Gilbert served consecutive aces as part of a Spartans rally that reduced Morgan State’s advantage to 20-18. Norfolk State suddenly had an opportunity to erase what had been a six-point deficit and potentially take command of the match.
Morgan State stopped the run and regained control. The Bears finished the set when Tameary Wardlaw delivered a service ace for the 25-20 victory, evening the match at one set apiece. Morgan State hit a match-best .355 in the second set with 14 kills and only three attack errors on 31 attempts.
Service Pressure Changes Third Set
The third set became one of the biggest turning points of the night.
Norfolk State held a 16-14 advantage and appeared capable of regaining control before Morgan State completely flipped the set. The Bears captured 10 of the next 11 points, turning the two-point deficit into a commanding 24-17 advantage.
Morgan State’s serving played a major role in the run. Brown produced two more aces while Michaela Panekova added another, and Norfolk State struggled to establish its attack. The Spartans managed only three kills during the entire third set and finished with a .000 hitting percentage.
The set was not quite finished. Norfolk State scored five consecutive points after falling behind 24-17, with four coming on Morgan State attack errors, and suddenly cut the deficit to 24-22. Morgan State finally secured the final point for a 25-22 victory and took a 2-1 match advantage.
Jada Williams Takes Over Late
Norfolk State had one more opportunity to force a fifth set.
Morgan State opened the fourth with another strong stretch. Kira Devrieze served four consecutive points as the Bears built an 8-4 lead, and Morgan State eventually stretched the advantage to 13-7. With the Bears holding a six-point cushion and already leading the match 2-1, they appeared positioned to finish the Spartans quickly.
Instead, Norfolk State rallied.
The Spartans scored four straight points to pull within 13-11 before another four-point run gave Norfolk State a 15-14 advantage. Jazeli Vandenburgh contributed an ace during the comeback, while Morgan State committed two attack errors. Norfolk State eventually stretched the lead to 18-15 and then 20-16 following kills from Gilbert and Kyleigh Moore.
Morgan State’s response became the defining stretch of the match. The Bears scored four consecutive points to tie the set at 20. Norfolk State managed to regain a 23-22 lead on a Moore block, putting the Spartans two points away from forcing a decisive fifth set.
Jada Williams made sure that never happened.
Williams delivered three consecutive kills to turn the 23-22 deficit into a 25-23 Morgan State victory. Instead of heading to a fifth set on the road, the Bears closed the match with three straight points and celebrated their first conference victory of the season.
Bears Find a Way Despite Close Numbers
The final statistics demonstrate just how competitive the match was. Morgan State hit .121 while Norfolk State finished at .120, a difference of only one-thousandth of a percentage point. Norfolk State also finished with four more blocks than Morgan State.
Morgan State’s advantage came through its ability to produce more attacks and terminate more points. The Bears finished with 47 kills to Norfolk State’s 35 and generated three more service aces. Morgan State also limited the Spartans to only 11 kills over the final two sets combined after Norfolk State produced 15 in the opening set alone.
Gilbert led Norfolk State with 12 kills, four service aces and eight digs for 16 points. Vandenburgh produced a match-high 20 digs and three aces, while Jasmine Mataira recorded 28 assists. Norfolk State dropped to 3-10 overall and 0-1 in the MEAC with the loss.
Morgan State Ends Two Losing Streaks
Morgan State entered conference play needing something positive after a difficult non-conference schedule. The Bears’ only victory through their first 12 matches came in a 3-1 win over Saint Peter’s on Sept. 4. They then lost eight consecutive matches against Loyola Maryland, Towson, Georgetown, George Mason, George Washington, Ohio, Mercyhurst and UNC Asheville.
The conference opener provided an opportunity to reset the season, and Morgan State took advantage. More importantly, the Bears did it at a building where recent history had not been favorable. Morgan State had lost seven consecutive matches at Norfolk State before Friday night’s victory.
Conference play can effectively create a second season for a team that struggled during its non-conference schedule. Morgan State’s 2-11 overall record remains, but the Bears are now 1-0 in the games that determine positioning for the MEAC Tournament.
Howard Comes to Hill Field House
Morgan State will have an opportunity to build on the victory almost immediately when the Bears host Beltway rival Howard on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Hill Field House. Howard enters the match 1-11 overall and 0-1 in conference play after losing its MEAC opener in straight sets to defending conference champion Coppin State.
The matchup will be Morgan State’s MEAC home opener and begins an important stretch of conference competition. Morgan State was picked fourth in the preseason MEAC standings, while Howard was projected second. Tre’Niya Miller entered the weekend among the conference leaders at 0.97 blocks per set.
After Howard, Morgan State returns to the road for matches at North Carolina Central on Oct. 2 and South Carolina State on Oct. 4. The Bears then return to Hill Field House to face Delaware State on Oct. 9.
MSB Take
Morgan State could not have asked for a much better way to reset its season. An eight-match losing streak and a 1-11 non-conference record could have carried into MEAC play, particularly after Norfolk State won the first set. Instead, Morgan State responded by taking three consecutive sets and ending a seven-match road losing streak against the Spartans in the process.
The fourth set was particularly encouraging. Morgan State watched a 13-7 advantage turn into a 20-16 deficit and later trailed 23-22, but the Bears did not allow the match to reach a fifth set. Williams’ three consecutive kills were exactly the type of late-match execution Morgan State will need throughout conference play.
Morgan State’s overall record still shows how difficult the first month of the season was, but conference play provides an opportunity to start over. The Bears are 1-0 in the MEAC, and beating Norfolk State on the road gives them something tangible to build on. Sunday’s home match against Howard now gives Morgan State an opportunity to turn one important conference victory into the beginning of some genuine momentum.
