WASHINGTON (October 5, 2025)– In a nail‑biting five‑set showdown at Burr Gymnasium, the Howard University volleyball team fell, 3-2, to conference foe Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Sunday afternoon.
 
The loss marked Howard's fifth straight match pushed to a decisive fifth set.
 
Maryland Eastern Shore came out swinging, opening the match on a 4-0 run before a kill from Zenai Jethroe (Dallas) snapped the early momentum. The Hawks responded with another four unanswered points to build an 8-1 lead. Howard pushed back with energy at the net, as Kaitlynn Robinson (Oklahoma City) played a key role in back-to-back blocks that cut the deficit, 10-5. The teams traded points over the next several rallies, but UMES maintained its cushion, holding a 17-11 advantage. The Bison momentarily slowed the Hawks with a three-point burst as UMES neared the 20-point mark, but the early gap proved too much to close. UMES claimed the opening set, 25–17.
 
UMES opened the scoring again in set two with a pair of early kills. Howard answered with three kills of its own to seize momentum. A 4-0 Bison run pushed the lead, 7-3, highlighted by an ace from setter Leah Reeves (Allen, Texas), before a service error briefly stalled the surge. The Bison regrouped quickly, stringing together back-to-back attacks to stretch the lead, 9-4. Reigning MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Rookie of the Week Alexys James (Houston) delivered consecutive kills to widen the gap, 17-9, giving Howard full control of the set. UMES trimmed the deficit with a pair of aces, 17-12, but Howard countered with a four-point burst, including a key ace from senior Claire Simpson (Plainfield, Ill.), pushing ahead, 22-13. Though the Hawks fought off set point with two kills and an ace, back-to-back kills from Jethroe and James closed the frame, 25-17, flipping the opening score in Howard's favor.
 
Simpson opened the third set with an ace, but UMES responded with four straight points to reclaim early momentum. Howard quickly regrouped, as an ace from Reeves tied the score, 4-4. The Hawks then strung together a 5-1 run to build an 11-7 advantage, though Howard clawed back to within one, 11-10. Both teams traded short runs, keeping the score tight, 13-12, but UMES continued to edge ahead, misstepping only on a service error before leading, 16-13. Howard mounted one final push late in the set with a key block from Robinson and Reeves, cutting the deficit, 22-21, but UMES capitalized down the stretch, using a kill and an ace to reach set point. HU fended off the 25^th point with a kill, but a UMES block sealed the set, 25-22, giving the Hawks a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
UMES carried its momentum into the fourth, opening with a quick 2-0 lead, but Howard answered with four straight points to take a 4-2 advantage. The Hawks responded with back-to-back kills to tie things, 4-4, but Howard surged again during Gabby Allen's (Laurel, Md.) serve rotation, posting a four-point swing, giving Howard a 10-5 edge. UMES countered with a five-point burst of its own to jump ahead, 12-11. The Bison responded with a four-point run capped by Camryn Shelton's (Charlotte, N.C.) first ace of the match, putting Howard back on top, 15-12. The Bison maintained control using a trio of points to cross the 20-point threshold with a 23-17 lead. A UMES service error brought the match to set point, 24-18. The Hawks delayed the finish with a crucial block and a kill, but Jethroe delivered the final blow, sending over a kill to clinch the set, 25-20, forcing a fifth.
 
UMES struck first in the final frame with a block and quickly built momentum behind four straight kills, taking a 9-5 lead. Howard pushed back with consecutive kills to cut the deficit, 9-7, but the Hawks responded with another 5-1 run, putting themselves on the verge of victory, 14-8. Jethroe stopped the surge with a kill. The Bison showed late fight with four straight points, including a kill from Rya McKinnon (Hoover, Ala.) and a vital ace from Madisyn Jones (Bridgeville, Pa.), to close the gap, 14-12. The comeback came up short, as a service error into the net ended the match, giving UMES the set, 15-1, and the match, 3-2.
 
McKinnon posted her fifth double‑double of the season with 21 kills and 13 digs, anchoring the Bison's effort. The Alabama native and two other Bison reached double figures in kills: James (14 kills) and Jethroe (13 kills).
 
Howard outpaced UMES in kills, 58-51, and aces, 9-8.
 
Both teams finished with 10 total blocks and 58 digs. The Bison also recorded 54 assists, including 45 from Reeves, to UMES's 45.
 
The Bison return to the court Wednesday (Oct. 8) at 6 p.m., when they host UMBC on Bison Blue Night.
 
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website www.hubison.com.