WASHINGTON – Howard volleyball (11-11, MEAC 7-2) keeps the win streak alive claiming their fifth straight victory with Friday night's 3-1 win (25-22, 19-25, 25-14, 28-26) over Delaware State (12-11, MEAC 5-4).
Senior Jennifer Bolden (Los Angeles, Calif.) led with a .400 hitting percentage while standout Rya McKinnon (Hoover, Ala.) led the Bison once again with her sixth double-double this season (15 kills, 12 digs). Kayla Diaz highlighted the match with a game-high 47 assists.
The opening set was evenly paced until the Hornets broke out on a 6-1 run to lead 9-4.
Back-to-back kills by conference heavyweight Rya McKinnon and an ace from Cimone Woodard (Missouri City, Texas) closed the gap to a one-point deficit, 9-8.
The Hornets regained a slight edge over HU, but another offensive surge from the Bison would level the board 12-12 before capitalizing off of DSU miscues for an 18-16 lead.
Both teams would inch their way to the finish holding a two-point difference, but an attack error would push the Bison to set point forcing the Hornets into a timeout. The break served in the Hornets' favor but fell short as Jennifer Bolden notched the first set with a kill, 25-22.
Utilizing three kills, the Hornets pulled away on a 6-1 run for a 12-7 lead over Howard. DSU lost its footing but picked up the pace once again with a multi-point run for a 19-11 advantage.
HU slowed the Hornets down with a six-point charge, 22-19, but came up short as Naz Tuncay (Istanbul, Turkey) reached set point with a service ace before setting up a kill for Ella Sanders (Albuquerque, NM), 25-20.
In the biggest disparity of the night, Howard jumped to a 14-3 lead with DSU getting half of their four points from errors. Errors would litter the final points as four straight handed the Bison a hefty 23-11 advantage.
The Woodard sisters would earn the Bison's second point of the night with a kill a piece to close the set 25-14.
The Bison built an 18-14 lead before a bad set made the Hornets regroup. Trading points off of errors, the board reached its second tie of the set at 22-22.
Cimone Woodard would go on to send a kill into the Hornets' nest for a 24-23 lead. Errors would tie the board yet again before giving the Hornets the upperhand 26-25.
The Bison would then capitalize off of Woodard's final two serves with McKinnon and Kayla Diaz (Rockland, NY) trading kills, 28-26.
The Bison get back on the road this Sunday at 1 PM when they face Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com
