WASHINGTON – Howard volleyball (13-13, MEAC 9-3) is back on track with Friday night's 3-0 sweep (25-15, 25-17, 25-16) over conference foe Morgan State (7-19, MEAC 2-9). 

Spearheaded by second-year Bison Claire Simpson (Plainfield, Ill.), the Bison jumped out to an early 6-2 lead over MSU. The libero highlighted her rotation with an ace sandwiched between two kills before the Bears broke up her run with a kill of their own. 

Maintaining the upper hand, HU utilized four kills while capitalizing on miscues to double the lead 14-7. A 6-2 run would push the Bison to the edge of set-point. A service error would get them there before junior Maya Gerlach (Philadelphia, Pa.) closed it out with her second kill of the night. 

Sophomore Leah Reeves (Allen, Texas) opened the frame with a service ace, but the lead soon slipped away with a 4-1 run from the Bears led by senior Jourdan Page (Bowie, Md.). 

Three straight service aces from senior Amari Patterson (Chicago) extended the lead 10-7 forcing the Bears to regroup. The break didn't slow the Illinois native down as she produced two more consecutive aces to tie her career-high of five aces, 12-7. 

Registering six kills in an 11-4 run, HU would double the score once again 22-11 before the Bears found their footing with four consecutive points to gradually diminish the deficit. A kill by senior Jennifer Bolden (Los Angeles, Calif.) would end the Bear's charge and reach set point. Back-to-back kills from MSU would keep the Bison in place, until junior Dami Awojobi (Hempstead, NY) shut the set down with a kill, 25-17. 

Howard jumped out to an 8-4 lead, The Bears forged ahead inching behind the Bison to a 12-9 deficit. Newcomer Sydnei Jones (Bridgeville, PA) would not let the seventh-ranked team catch up sending a kill into Bear territory before ending her rotation with an ace, 15-9. A 5-2 charge would keep the Bears in the game but the Bison offense stormed ahead with five uncontested points highlighted by Reeves' second ace of the night, 22-14. 

Outside hitter Kendall Smith (Chicago) would make her mark on the night's match sending a kill over the net before reaching set match on an ace, 24-16. The senior would go one to notch one more kill for the final blow sweeping the Bears 3-0. 

The Bison dominated on all offensive fronts besting the Bears in kills (36-21), digs (33-23), hitting % (.378-.139), assists (25-18), and aces (12-2). 

The Bison are back in the Burr on November 5th at 3 PM when they host Coppin State.

For more information visit www.HUBison.com.