PRINCESS ANNE, Md. (October 29, 2023) - Howard University volleyball saw its win streak snapped Sunday afternoon with a 3-2 loss at Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).
 
Three Bison posted double digits kills with junior middle blocker Cimone Woodard (Missouri City, Texas) leading the charge with a career-high 20 kills.
 
Two multi-point runs gave HU a slight advantage over the Hawks, 11-7, but a 6-2 spurt from UMES leveled the board, 14-14.
 
UMES began to pull away but back-to-back aces from standout setter Kayla Diaz (Rockland, N.Y.) tied the board once again at 19-19.
 
Three consecutive errors would give Maryland Eastern Shore the upper hand, 23-19, but the Bison found their footing, sending three kills into the Hawks nest to hold them in place, 23-22.
 
UMES would get one more kill before the set was closed on an error, 25-22.
 
Jumping out to a 3-0 lead, the Bison would widen the gap, 8-4, capitalizing on three aces. HU continued to excel, propelling to a 17-9 advantage. UMES worked their way back with a 15-5 run, spearheaded by Derionah Abner (Orlando, Fla.), reaching set point on a kill, 24-22.
 
Conference heavyweight Rya McKinnon (Hoover, Ala.) kept the Hawks at bay with a kill of her own but the Hawks would notch one more to claim their second set, 25-22.
 
Determined to get on the board, HU broke out to a 6-2 lead in the third set and maintained the lead until back-to-back attack errors balanced the board, 16-16. A 5-1 run, led by Woodard, would get the Bison back in good graces, 21-17, before reaching set point on an error. Woodard would go on to nail one more in the coffin to claim the Bison's first win of the afternoon, 25-19.
 
In a more evenly paced set four, fans saw the scoreboard level 12 times between the two teams. Woodard would go on to add five more kills to the night's stats but it was McKinnon who lifted HU over the Hawks in the final points to a 21-18 lead before forcing a fifth set with consecutive kills, 25-20.
 
Down, 9-6, HU would utilize an uncontested four-point run to gain a one-point advantage, 10-9. The Bison would exchange the lead with back-to-back bad sets before tying again, 11-11. An attack error would nudge HU a point closer to the win but two errors of their own would push the Bison to a 14-13 deficit before the Hawks closed the match with an ace, 15-13.
 
The Bison held a slight edge over UMES, producing 108 kills (.261) to their 104, but the Hawks' accuracy lifted them just above the Bison in hitting percentage, .273. The Bison doubled the Hawks stats in aces registering 10, led by senior Amari Patterson (Chicago).
 
The Bison return to the Burr Wednesday (November 1) at 6 p.m., when they host UMBC in a nonconference midweek matchup.
 
For more information visit www.HUBison.com.