PITTSBURGH (December 6, 2019) – Howard University women's volleyball team saw its 2019 campaign come to an end after a 3-0 loss at the hand of No. 6 Pitt (9-25, 21-25, 14-25) inside the Petersen Events Center during the NCAA First Round.
 
With the setback, HU finished the year with a 20-13 overall mark.
 
Despite the loss, Howard earned its fifth 20-win season under Shaun Kupferberg.
 
"I am really proud of our team this year," Kupferberg stated during the postgame press conference. "We went through a lot of adversity, but we were able to finish strong. We're thankful for the opportunity [to play in the NCAA Tournament]."
 
Second-year outside hitter Kailyn Williams (Arlington, Texas), 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament Most Outstanding Player, ended her sophomore campaign with a team-leading 10 kills, four digs and a pair of blocks.
 
After dropping the opening set, 9-25, Howard rebounded and held a 10-6 advantage in game two; thus, forcing the Panthers into a timeout.
 
Immediately after the brief intermission, Pitt regained the momentum and took their first lead of the set, thanks to a kill Stephanie Williams, 13-14. From that point on, the Panthers kept HU at bay to take game two, 21-25.
 
"We did a good job competing," said Kupferberg regarding set two. "We were going point-for-point with them, but we made too many errors, especially at this level. They [Pitt] don't make mistakes. I was proud of our team, but I never thought we had them on their heels.
 
Howard took an early 2-0 lead in set three but hitting errors down the stretch would be too much to overcome against nationally ranked Pitt.
 
Freshman setter Kayla Diaz (Nanuet, N.Y.) registered 19 assists in the loss.
 
Seniors Kira Porter (Lake Tahoe, Nev.) and Jurnee Farrell (Englewood, Colo.) competed in their final collegiate match. Both Bison finished their careers with four MEAC Titles and four NCAA appearances.
 
Williams led the Panthers with 10 kills while setter Akeo Lexis finished with 25 assists and eight digs.
 
Pitt (30-1) advances to the NCAA Second Round where they will face Cincinnati Saturday (Dec. 7).
 
For HU, they return abundance of talent in their quest for a six consecutive MEAC crown and six straight NCAA appearance.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.