Moran’s Career-High 48 Assists Powers Towson Volleyball Past Northeastern

TOWSON, Md. — Towson volleyball completed a perfect opening weekend in Coastal Athletic Association play Saturday afternoon, defeating Northeastern in four sets, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22, at SECU Arena.

The Tigers combined a balanced offensive attack with a strong performance at the net to improve to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in the CAA. Setter Kaitlyn Moran directed the offense with a career-high 48 assists, while Taylor Pagan led three Towson players in double figures with a season-high 18 kills.

Towson’s victory completed a two-match sweep of Northeastern after the Tigers defeated the Huskies in straight sets Friday. Northeastern fell to 2-8 overall and 0-2 in conference play following the weekend series.

Towson Takes Competitive Opening Set

The first set immediately established that Saturday’s rematch would be considerably more competitive than Friday’s sweep. Northeastern hit .333 with 14 kills and only two errors, but Towson countered with 17 kills on a .289 hitting percentage.

Despite Northeastern’s efficiency, Towson generated enough offense to secure a 25-22 victory. The Tigers’ 17 kills were their highest total in any set during the match and gave them an early 1-0 advantage.

Northeastern responded in the second set as both teams went through several extended scoring runs. Towson held a 20-16 advantage before the Huskies scored five consecutive points to move ahead 21-20. Northeastern then finished the set with a 4-3 run to take it 25-23 and even the match at one set apiece.

The Tigers struggled offensively during the second set, finishing with 10 kills and seven errors on 41 attacks for a .073 hitting percentage. Northeastern was not particularly efficient either, hitting .116, but the Huskies did enough late to avoid falling into a two-set deficit.

Towson Defense Takes Control

The third set belonged to Towson’s defense.

Northeastern managed only eight kills while committing nine attack errors on 45 attempts, resulting in a negative-.022 hitting percentage. Towson recorded 12 kills during the set and capitalized on the Huskies’ offensive problems to earn a 25-20 victory.

That defensive performance gave Towson a 2-1 advantage and put the Tigers one set away from completing the weekend sweep.

Northeastern entered the fourth set needing a victory to force a deciding fifth, but Towson responded with its most efficient offensive performance of the afternoon. The Tigers produced 16 kills with only two attack errors on 50 attempts, hitting .280.

Northeastern remained competitive with 17 kills in the fourth, but seven attack errors limited the Huskies to a .175 percentage. Towson closed out the match with a 25-22 victory and celebrated its second CAA win in as many days.

Moran Sets Another Career High

Moran’s performance was one of the biggest stories of the afternoon.

The Towson setter finished with a career-high 48 assists, surpassing the career-best 38 assists she had established only one day earlier. Moran also contributed 12 digs and an ace, giving her a double-double while directing an offense that produced 55 kills.

Her 48 assists accounted for all but seven of Towson’s kills and all but two of the Tigers’ 50 total assists. The performance helped three different Towson attackers reach double figures.

Pagan led the group with a season-high 18 kills. She also contributed 12 digs and an ace, giving Towson production both offensively and defensively. Her 18 kills represented the third-highest single-match total of her two seasons with the Tigers.

Anna Rice added 14 kills, while Destini Pickett finished with 12. Pickett also contributed four blocks as Towson established a significant advantage at the net.

Tigers Win Battle at the Net

Towson finished the afternoon with a 12-8 advantage in blocks, helping the Tigers hold Northeastern to a .144 hitting percentage for the match. Sophomore Malinah Purcell-Telefoni led Towson with a season-high six blocks, while Clara Vorel contributed five.

The Tigers hit .194 overall with 55 kills and 22 errors on 170 attacks. Northeastern finished with 53 kills but committed 27 errors on 181 attempts.

Towson also held Northeastern below a .200 hitting percentage in three of the four sets. The third set proved particularly decisive, when the Tigers forced the Huskies into more errors than kills.

Kayla Zanon led Towson with 14 digs, while Pagan and Moran each collected 12. Natalia PeBenito supplied three of Towson’s five service aces.

Northeastern’s Emma Rowell led the Huskies with 16 kills. Brynn Smith added 10, while Iris Canko paced Northeastern defensively with 20 digs.

Tigers Sweep Opening CAA Weekend

Towson could hardly have asked for a better start to its conference schedule.

The Tigers opened CAA play Friday with a convincing 3-0 victory over Northeastern, winning 25-13, 28-26 and 25-19. They returned less than 24 hours later and showed they could win a much different type of match.

Saturday required Towson to respond after dropping a set, withstand Northeastern’s scoring runs and execute late in close sets. The Tigers won three sets by five points or fewer and finished the weekend without allowing the Huskies to push either match to a deciding fifth set.

Towson now takes its 8-3 overall record and perfect 2-0 conference mark on the road. The Tigers travel to Charleston for matches Friday, Sept. 25 and Saturday, Sept. 26 at TD Arena.

MSB Take

Moran’s development at setter could become an important storyline for Towson as CAA play progresses. Setting a career high on consecutive days is impressive by itself, but Saturday’s 48-assist performance also resulted in three Tigers reaching double figures in kills.

Towson showed balance throughout the lineup. Pagan supplied 18 kills, Rice had 14 and Pickett added 12, while Purcell-Telefoni and Vorel helped the Tigers control the net defensively. That combination allowed Towson to win despite Northeastern producing 53 kills and 84 digs.

Most importantly, the Tigers are 2-0 in conference play. Friday’s sweep demonstrated how dominant Towson can be when everything is working, while Saturday showed the Tigers can handle a much tighter match and respond after dropping a set.

The first road test of CAA play against Charleston should provide another indication of where this Towson team stands. For now, however, a two-match home sweep and a career afternoon from Moran gave the Tigers exactly the conference start they wanted.