DOVER, Del. — Delaware State beat Howard 3-1 on Thursday at Memorial Hall, winning 25-22, 22-25, 25-17, 25-20.
The Hornets improved to 16-8 overall and 7-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Aaliyah Mitchell led the offense with a match-high 16 kills and hit .308. Jalia Dublin added 12 kills and hit .409. Paige Ahakuelo had a match-high 26 assists and a team-high two aces.
Four Hornets reached double figures in digs. Courtney Nix had a team-high 16, while Amanda Santos Juliao and Ailena Mykins had 11 apiece. At the net, Hannah Sanders and Dublin each had seven blocks.
Delaware State won a back-and-forth first set 25-22. The set featured five lead changes and was tied 11 times, and neither team led by more than three points.
Howard tied the match in the second set, winning 25-22. The Hornets rallied from an eight-point deficit at 20-12 but couldn't complete the comeback.
Delaware State regained control in the third set, winning 25-17 to take a 2-1 lead. The front row blocked eight Howard attacks, and the Hornets added three aces. They finished the set with their biggest lead.
The Hornets scored first in the fourth set and never trailed. They led by as many as seven points at 22-15 and blocked six Howard attacks in the set.
