SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Howard volleyball team was swept in its final two matches of the Shamrock Invitational, falling 3-2 (26-24, 25-22, 31-33, 22-25, 7-15) to Notre Dame and 3-0 (19-25, 22-25, 14-25) to Coastal Carolina on Saturday afternoon.
Khaila Donaldson was the sole Bison named to the All-Tournament Team.
HOWARD 2, NOTRE DAME 3
Donaldson led the way with her third double-double of the season (18 kills, 18 digs). Sophomore Courtney Dalton was close behind with 13 kills. Senior Morgan Marlbrough notched 36 digs and sophomore Tamia Dockery shared 38 assists. Senior Katherine Broussard finished with 16 digs.
At the net, senior Whitney Fields tallied nine blocks, with four being solo rejections. Sophomore Olubunmi Okunade had seven block assists.
The match also featured 52 ties and 23 lead changes.
The Bison had a slight 9-7 lead on a pair of kills and service ace by Donaldson. ND tied the game at 18, making Howard use its first timeout. Jessica Young and Okunade got together at the net for the rejection and Dockery laid down a spike for a two-point edge, 20-18. The Irish locked the score again, this time at 22-22 but need to head to the bench. An attack error and block from Fields gave the Bison a one-point edge and Dalton's kill closed the set, 26-24.
Howard opened the second set on an 11-7 run, which forced the Irish to burn an early timeout. Not long after, ND needed to call its second timeout as the Bison got up 15-10. The Irish closed the gap with six consecutive points to bring the score to 19-18 before locking the set at 21. The Bison responded with an ace by Marlbrough and kill from Donaldson to take the set, 25-22.
The two teams traded points to start the third set before Howard took a 13-11 advantage. ND bounced back with five straight points to go ahead 16-13, while the Bison called for time. Howard came out of the break strong to catch up at lock the score at 19. The pair of teams traded the next 24 points, tying the set at 31-31. A kill and Bison error tipped the scale in favor of the Irish to end the set, 33-31.
The fourth set began much like the third until the Irish went up 13-10. The Bison pulled within one, 15-14, and ND called a timeout. Howard tried to make up the difference but ND took a 20-17 lead. Young tallied a kill and block late but the Irish took the set, 25-22.
ND got out to a 9-3 advantage in the fifth set. Howard needed a timeout to regroup but couldn't find its rhythm as the Irish claimed the deciding set, 15-7.
HOWARD 0, COASTAL CAROLINA 3
Donaldson posted 11 kills and Dalton added 10 kills in the final match of the tournament. Dockery handed out 29 assists to go along with a team-high six digs.
The Chanticleers scored the first seven points of the match. Back-to-back kills by Donaldson brought the Bison within three, 16-13. Howard tried to come back but couldn't get any closer and dropped the set, 19-25.
The second set was a back and forth battle to start with 10 ties and four lead changes. Howard strung together five consecutive points for a 15-13 edge. Coastal Carolina responded with an 8-4 run to go up 21-19 and Howard headed to the sideline. The Bison tried to rally an attack error handed the Chanticleers the set, 25-22.
Howard quickly used a timeout in the third set after Coastal Carolina took an 11-4 advantage. The Bison weren't able to cut into the deficit and the lost the set, 14-25.
Howard will participate in the Penn Invitational on Friday, Sept. 9 against George Mason and Penn. On Saturday, Sept. 10, the Bison will face Lafayette and Bucknell.
