BOWIE, MD – The Bowie State women's volleyball team (1-7, 0-0 CIAA) battled West Chester (7-1, 0-0 PSAC) through five sets Tuesday night inside A.C. Jordan Arena, but the Bulldogs came up short in a 25-19, 25-23, 21-25, 26-28, 15-13 setback.
West Chester claimed the first set 25-19 despite a strong start from Bowie State. Lyric Snowden sparked the Bulldogs with several kills while Mekenna Scott distributed key assists, but the Golden Rams pulled away late with timely service aces.
The second set saw the Bulldogs rally from an early 6-0 deficit. A service ace from Abena Asomani-Martin and kills by Snowden and Nina Edwards helped close the gap, and the Bulldogs tied it at 22-22 on a block from Edwards and Asomani-Martin. However, WCU answered with a kill and an ace to edge BSU, 25-23.
The Bulldogs responded in the third, building an early lead behind a block from Edwards and Nicole Taylor and back-to-back aces from Snowden. Edwards sealed the frame with a kill, giving Bowie State the 25-21 win.
Momentum carried into the fourth as BSU fought through a tense, back-and-forth set. Trinity Loundmon delivered a service ace, while Snowden and Edwards combined for clutch kills down the stretch. The Bulldogs survived multiple set points before Snowden closed it out, 28-26, to force a deciding set.
In the fifth, Bowie State jumped ahead with back-to-back blocks from Edwards and Asomani-Martin. Snowden and Taylor added key points as the set went back and forth, but the Golden Rams held on for a 15-13 win to clinch the match.
Following the match, head coach Edric Poitier spoke with Bowie State Athletics Media reporter Eric Scott, praising his team's effort. "I think the team played tremendously well. This is probably the best match we've played all year. West Chester is a tough team, very good hitting team, good blocking team, and I believe we put up a good fight," Poitier said.
Bowie St. Top Performers
- Lyric Snowden: 18 kills, 11 digs, 3 aces, 21 points
- Nina Edwards: 14 kills (.545), 7 blocks, 18.5 points
- Nicole Taylor: 14 kills, 4 blocks, 16.5 points
- Abena Asomani-Martin: 19 digs, 7 kills, 2 aces, 10 points
Up Next
The Bulldogs will travel to the "Sunshine State" to compete in the Eckerd Tournament hosted by Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., from Friday, Sept. 19, through Saturday, Sept. 20.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sport teams, visit BSUBulldogs.com.
