Hampton, Va. (November 15, 2008) ? The Hornets' quest for a first ever Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship ended today as they fell to the North Division Champion UMES Hawks, 3-0 (21-25, 16-25, 22-25) in the semifinals of the 2008 MEAC Volleyball Championship. With the loss, the Hornets end the 2008 season with a 16-11 record.
DSU, without starting outside hitter Sarah Wheatcroft, were at a disadvantage from the start.
“We really needed Sarah to play today,” said Head Coach Renee Arnold. “She provides a height presence on the outside that we desperately needed.”
UMES took advantage of the mismatch on the outside as MEAC Rookie of the Year Christine Edwards and MEAC First-Team selection Whitney Johnson combined for 25 kills to propel the Hawk offense.
The Hornets led by as many as five points (19-14) in the first set, but MEAC Player of the Year Christina Estebane tallied assists on five straight points to pull UMES back into the match. Edwards then recorded two straight kills to give the Hawks the early 1-0 lead in the match.
UMES found its rhythm offensively in the second set as they recorded a 323 attack percentage to take the 2-0 lead. DSU junior Cassandra Joyner (First Team All-MEAC selection) tallied four kills and only one error, but the Hornets as a team only registered a .094 attack percentage in the set.
The third set was the closest as both teams held the lead at different points. At 22-22, Estebane and Edwards tallied two kills to put the match away.
Edwards led the way offensively for the Hawks with a double-double of 15 kills and 12 digs. Estebane led UMES passing with 31 assists as well as nine digs.
For DSU, Joyner finished with her fourth double-double of the season 11 kills and 11 digs. Freshman setter Martina Ferrari led the Hornets passing with 22 assists along with seven digs.
The Hornets finished the 2008 campaign with 16 wins, their most since the 1991 season. “This year was a great building block for next three years,” said Arnold. “We really came together as a team and showed what we can do.”
All 12 players are eligible to return for the 2009 season.
