WASHINGTON (August 30, 2025) – Howard University volleyball (1-0) opened the season with a 3-2 nail-biting victory over George Washington (0-1) Friday evening in Burr Gymnasium.
 
Before the match, Howard recognized the career of 2018 graduate Khaila Donaldson by retiring her jersey.
 
Freshman Alexys James (Houston) led the way with her first career double-double (12 kills & 12 digs).
 
Howard came out strong, jumping to a 5-0 lead. The Revolutionaries closed the gap, 5-4, before the Bison inched away to a 14-9 lead, led by graduate outside hitter Aziah Buckner's (Memphis, Tenn.) kills and James' back-to-back aces. Consecutive errors gave the Bison an 18-13 advantage, prompting a timeout from GW (George Washington). The regroup boosted the Revolutionaries to a one-point deficit, 19-18, and three straight errors gave GW the lead, 21-19. Redshirt sophomore Zenai Jethroe (Dallas) broke up the sudden charge with a block and kill, but an attack error would give GW the first set point, 25-23.
 
Howard came out with the lead again, working their way to a 6-2 score. GW crept up with a 5-3 run to come within two, 9-7. Alternating kills kept the game close until back-to-back attacks evened the score, 13-13. Howard went on an unanswered 6-0 run before a shot in the net halted the surge, 20-15. Senior setter Leah Reeves (Allen, Texas) set the Bison up for four more kills ahead of a service error, closing out the set 25-19 – Howard's biggest win of the night.
 
HU was first on the board, yet again, with a kill from Buckner. The Revolutionaries stayed close behind, alternating between tying the board and trailing by one point. A four-point run, highlighted by sophomore defensive specialist Halie McGinest (Calabasas, Calif.) with multiple service aces, gave Howard a 15-12 advantage ahead of the media timeout. The Bison continued to pull away, 22-17, with James sending over her sixth ace of the night and knocking down two kills. As Howard approached setpoint, GW called for another regrouping – this one falling short as the Bison took set three, 25-20.
 
GW opened the scoring in the fourth set, but Howard quickly tied it, 5-5. A combination of aces and errors doubled the score for the Revolutionaries, 10-5. GW continued to pull away, capitalizing on four straight kills for a 17-9 advantage. An HU surge later in the set closed the gap, 21-18. Howard managed two more points before GW claimed the set, 25-20.
 
An uninterrupted five-point run gave George Washington a 7-4 lead into the fifth and deciding set, but the Bison forced their way to tie, 9-9. The two DMV teams would even the score three more times before Howard took the final game, 15-13.
 
Jethroe recorded 14 kills in her Bison debut while three-time MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Player of the Year senior outside hitter Rya McKinnon (Hoover, Ala.) rounded it out with 14 kills as well.
 
Reeves, reigning MEAC Setter of the Year, registered a game-high 44 assists in the win.
 
The Bison are back on the court August 30 at 1 p.m., when they take on George Mason in Fairfax, Va.
 
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website www.hubison.com.