WASHINGTON — Howard volleyball (8–7, 2–2 MEAC) battled through four competitive sets Wednesday evening, ultimately falling 3–1 to UMBC (25–18, 25–17, 19–25, 25–18) inside Burr Gymnasium.

UMBC opened the match with early momentum, jumping ahead 3–1 before Howard evened the score at 3–3. A pair of Retriever kills extended the gap, but a block from Aziah Buckner (Memphis, Tenn.) and Zenai Jethroe (Dallas, Texas)brought the Bison within one at 6–5. Howard stayed close through the middle of the set, trailing just 12–10 before UMBC capitalized on a pair of kills and an ace to widen the lead to 15–11. Out of the media timeout, the Retrievers continued to find seams in the Bison defense, pushing the advantage to 20–14. Howard strung together back-to-back kills late in the frame, along with a UMBC attack error, to hold off set point briefly, but the Retrievers sealed the opener, 25–18.

Howard struck first in the second frame, with Rya McKinnon (Hoover, Ala.) delivering a kill to the right side for a quick 2–0 lead. UMBC responded with four straight points to take control, using aces and front-row pressure to double the score at 10–5. A kill from Buckner and an ace by Claire Simpson (Plainfield, Ill.) helped the Bison close within three, 11–8, and a pair of timely blocks by Buckner and Kristen Dear (Carson, Calif.) kept Howard close at 15–13. However, a late Retriever run, fueled by consecutive kills and a block, gave UMBC breathing room. Despite a strong push from Jethroe, who tallied two kills and a block down the final stretch, the Retrievers held on to take the set, 25–17.

The third set saw the Bison flip the momentum. After an early 1–1 tie, Howard surged ahead behind the play of setter Alexys James (Houston, Texas), whose ace and quick distribution fueled a 7–6 advantage. Back-to-back kills from Dear and Kennedi Wright (Plano, Texas) gave the Bison rhythm, and a 6–2 run led by McKinnon created space at 15–11. The home crowd came alive as rookie Corrine Howard (Derwood, Md.) teamed up with Dear for a block, pushing the margin to 16–11. UMBC struggled to slow Howard's energy, forcing multiple timeouts as the Bison extended the lead to 20–12. Wright and Jethroe continued to hammer away, and despite a brief Retriever rally late in the frame, a UMBC service error handed Howard the 25–19 win to force a fourth set.

UMBC regained its footing to start the fourth, using a pair of aces to build a 6–3 lead. Howard stayed within striking distance as Jethroe and Wright combined for key kills to narrow the score to 9–8. The Retrievers' blocking proved crucial, creating separation at 14–10 before extending the lead to 19–12. Howard mounted a late 6–1 rally behind Wright's steady attacking and Simpson's second ace of the night, inching within two at 20–18 and prompting a UMBC timeout. The Retrievers regrouped and closed on a 5–0 run to take the set, 25–18, and the match.

McKinnon led the Bison with 14 kills and 12 digs for her sixth double-double of the season. Jethroe added 12 kills and four blocks, while James posted a career- and match-high 38 assists along with seven digs. Simpson anchored the back row with 13 digs.

Howard returns to action Friday, Oct. 10, at 6 p.m. when it travels to face North Carolina Central.

For more information visit the official Howard Athletics page www.hubison.com.