Sept. 4, 2009
Final Stats
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Late runs in each of the three sets allowed Morgan State to post a three-set victory over the Navy volleyball team Friday afternoon at the Wesley A. Brown Field House in Annapolis. The Lady Bears (3-4) edged Navy (1-3) by identical scores of 25-22, 25-22, 25-22.
The match was the first of the day for both teams at the Battle of Baltimore Tournament.
"Our serving let us down at the end of each of the sets," said Navy head coach Mike Schwob. "We also played inconsistently for sizeable periods during the match."
Navy held a 17-16 lead midway through the first set, but a service error by Meghan Carpenter (So., Frederick, Md.) allowed Morgan State to tie the score. That was the first of four straight points for the Lady Bears. The Mids pulled to within one point at 20-19 but Navy's run ended on a service error by Maida Kalic' (So., Vernon, N.Y.). Back-to-back points soon gave Morgan State a 23-19 lead, but an attack error and a kill by Abbie Merkl (Sr., Upper Marlboro, Md.) allowed Navy to narrow the deficit down to 23-21. The two teams traded sideouts to make the score 24-22, but the set ended on a service error by Carolyn Ewert (Fr., Bakersfield, Calif.).
The Mids also let a slim lead escape from themselves towards the end of the second set. Navy led 18-16 until Morgan State ran off a trio of points to take a 19-18 lead. The teams exchanged each of the next six points, a stretch that ended with a Merkl service error that gave the Lady Bears a 22-21 lead. Morgan State quickly tallied back-to-back kills to reach set point at 24-21. Navy erased the first set point opportunity on a kill by Kalic', but a kill by Morgan State's Ivanti Bush ended the set for the Lady Bears.
There would be six lead changes and 12 ties in the third set, with the last tie coming at 22-22. Morgan State's Cheryl Savoy broke the tie on a service ace, then a block by the tandem of Dominique Bozier and Eric Cox made the score 24-22. With Savoy still serving, Cox knocked down a kill to conclude the match.
Navy held a 48-39 advantage over Morgan State in kills during the match, but that was negated by the Mids committing 14 service errors while the Lady Bears tallied just three service errors. Morgan State also held advantages over Navy in hitting percentage (.280-.217), digs (49-43) and blocks (9.0-4.0).
Bush paced all players in the match with 15 kills and a .324 attack percentage. Navy's offense was led by Merkl, who finished with 10 kills.
Navy will continue play in the Battle of Baltimore Tournament later tonight when the Mids play host to Maryland at 7 p.m., as well as Saturday with a pair of matches at Towson.
