UMBC

Kira Giles led the Retrievers with a .667 hitting percentage and four block assists in the win over Navy.

Baltimore—The UMBC women’s volleyball team (13-14, 5-4 AE) defeated the Navy Midshipmen (11-18) in straight sets on Tuesday night at the UMBC RAC Arena, marking the last home game for the Retrievers this season.

The first set saw the Retrievers jump to a 3-2 lead thanks to three kills from senior middle blocker Jessie Folk.  Folk finished the set with four kills for a .500 hitting percentage, one service ace, and one block assist.  After a service error by the Mids to knot the score at seven, the Retrievers gained the serve and proceeded to score five consecutive points behind sophomore middle blocker Ashley Hargrove’s serve.  The Retrievers would not give up the lead for the rest of the set and won the set point, 30-22, off a Navy attack error. 

Navy came out with a renewed sense of play in the second set and jumped to a 5-0 lead.  The Retrievers tied the score at 11 and scored six points behind sophomore outside hitter Sarah Ball’s serve to take a 17-11 lead.  Ball recorded three service aces within those six points.  UMBC won the set, 30-20, after four points behind Ball’s serve, with the set point coming from a kill by junior middle blocker Amanda Willey.

In the third and final set, the Retrievers took a 1-0 lead, but alternated points with Navy for the next 12 points, until UMBC took an 8-6 lead.  The Retrievers took the lead for good off a Navy service error to make the score 11-10 and won the match point, 30-26, off an attack error by the Mids.  Seniors Julia Hood and Andrea Clarke entered the match in the third set, for the second consecutive match, while junior Megan Hodson played in her second match of the season.

Freshman setter Kira Giles led the Retrievers with six kills, a .667 hitting percentage, 32 assists, six digs, and four block assists.  Folk added seven kills and a .400 hitting percentage, while Ball recorded four service aces and nine digs on the day.

Jessie Sims led the Mids, tallying a double-double with 13 kills and 19 digs for a .333 hitting percentage.

The Retrievers take to the road this weekend as they fight for a spot in the America East Conference tournament.  The Retrievers battle Maine on Friday at 4 p.m. and New Hampshire on Sunday at 1 p.m. in their last two games of the regular season.