WASHINGTON (September 8, 2023) - Howard University volleyball (3-4) struggled to get the upper hand Friday night as the team fell in straight sets to the University of Virginia (5-1).
 
The Cavalier offense proved too much for the Bison as fast-paced heavy hitting led Virginia (UVA) to a 15-7 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Ciera Hecht pushed the Cavaliers to a 22-10 advantage before closing it out on errors to claim the first set, 25-15.
 
The Bison found their edge in the second set with a two-point advantage before UVA inched away, 17-10. 
 
The gap did not stay wide long as an uncontested HU run forced UVA to regroup with a 19-16 lead. The Bison kept it close to the end before the Cavaliers claimed their second win, 25-21.
 
UVA's charge continued into the final set, cruising to a 12-5 advantage. The Bison offense came alive with a five-point run, bringing them within two points of the lead while stunning the Cavaliers into a timeout, 13-11. The third set proved the most thrilling as the Bison stayed within a point of UVA, 18-17. Back-to-back kills by sophomore standout Rya McKinnon (Hoover, Ala.) gave the Bison the closest edge of the night at 22-21 before UVA closed it out with three consecutive points.
 
The Bison are back on the court as they continue in the DMV Invitational with a matchup against UMBC in Baltimore at 3 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.