College Park, Md. (Aug. 27, 2016) --- The Delaware State volleyball team closed out its season opening weekend with losses to Maryland and Eastern Michigan in the University of Maryland Invitational at the XFINITY Pavilion today.
The Hornets (0-3) fell to the host Terrapins 3-0 this morning. The scores were 25-14, 25-15 and 25-5.
Maryland posted a .342 hitting percentage, while committing just seven attack errors in the contest.
Sabina Szmajduch (jr.) led DSU with four kills, while Alliyah McBean (jr.) had eight digs and Gabriella Enriquez (jr.) tallied seven assists, each a team high. McBean (below) was named to the Maryland Invite All-Tournament Team after recording 31 digs in DSU's three matches.
In the opening set, the Hornets scored four straight points to open up s 4-1 lead. The score was 6-6 before Maryland began to pull away. The Terps scored six of the next seven points to open up a 12-7 lead.
Maryland stretched its lead to ten points (20-10) on a kill by Ashlyn McGregor.
The Terps started quickly in the second set, opening up a 13-3 lead.
Delaware State answered with a 6-2 run, and pulled to within 15-9 on a bad set by the Terps. McBean had two service aces and a kill, while Sydney Armbrister also recorded an ace during the Hornet run.
DSU also fell to Eastern Michigan 3-0 this afternoon by scores of 25-14, 25-18 and 25-22.
Szmajduch and Jae Jackson (sr.) led the Hornets with five kills each, while Armbrister had four. Enriquez tallied 13 assists and McBean recorded 13 digs, each team highs in the EMU match.
Delaware State trailed early in the second set, but fought back to force a 10-10 tie on a kill by Arian Stevens.
Eastern Michigan led 17-13 before the Hornets scored the next three points to pull to within one. The Hornets were only down 20-18 when EMU scored the last five points to claim the set.
The tightly played third set was highlighted by four ties. The biggest lead in the set was three points.
Stevens had six of the Hornets' 13 blocks in the match, including four solos.
Delaware State returns to action next Friday against Loyola (Md.) in the Retrievers' two-day tournament. The Hornets will also face Akron and UMBC in the tourney.
