MILLERSVILLE, Pa. -- Bowie State (11-13) lost to Millersville (6-15) 3-1 Tuesday night on the road, with set scores of 12-25, 25-17, 16-25 and 22-25. The Bulldogs totaled 37 kills, nine service aces and 53 digs but hit .094 for the match. The Marauders finished with 51 kills and a .233 hitting percentage.
Millersville opened the first set with five straight points on two BSU attack errors, two Julia Chunta service aces and another attack error before Gabrielle Hale put the Bulldogs on the board with a kill from Abena Asomani-Martin. BSU got kills from Payton Swinton, Taylor Johnson and Asomani-Martin to reach 6-11. The Marauders pushed the score to 19-8 on a Lazur kill and a Marissa Storti ace, and the Bulldogs later used a Johnson kill and Millersville attack error to reach 10-19. Millersville scored five of the next six points to get to 24-11, and after Swinton's kill extended the set, Alena Lombardo's kill closed a 25-12 Millersville win.
After the Marauders took the first point of the second set, Iman Wright's kill from Hale tied it, and BSU moved ahead with four straight points on Hale's serve, including a Wright kill and a Hale ace, for a 5-1 lead. Millersville got back within 7-6 behind a Julia Chunta ace, an Alex Nava kill and a Bulldogs attack error, but Swinton's kill stopped the stretch before BSU pushed the margin to 12-7 with a Damani Myers kill and back-to-back Swinton aces. Kills by Wright and Melisa Anacius and a Spring Terry ace helped extend the lead to 16-9, and although Millersville later cut it to 18-14 on kills by Alena Lombardo and Hailey Lazur, the Bulldogs kept answering with sideouts. BSU closed the set with the final four points, getting a Millersville bad set, a Terry ace and Anacius' kill from Hale to win 25-17.
The Bulldogs pushed in front 8-5 in the third set as Johnson, Anacius and Swinton put down early kills, Christina San added another and Swinton served an ace. After BSU later led 11-8 on Bracey Gross' ace, Millersville scored four straight to move ahead 12-11; the Bulldogs tied it at 12-12 on Hailey Lazur's attack error with a block by Swinton, but the Marauders pushed ahead 18-13 during Amanda Protzman's serve. Swinton's kill stopped that stretch at 18-14, but Millersville answered with five straight points to reach 23-14 behind Charlee Russick's kill, Margaux Kellum's ace and a block by Addison Reustle and Sam White. BSU got a Swinton kill and ace to close to 23-16 before a Hale attack error and Marissa Storti kill finished Millersville's 25-16 set win.
BSU got early kills from Johnson and Iman Wright, but Millersville built a 10-5 lead behind multiple swings from Charlee Russick and Marissa Storti. The Bulldogs worked back into the set with Iman Wright's kill, a Dyllan Chandler block and Abena Asomani-Martin's kill, then tied it at 12-12 after consecutive Millersville attack errors. The Marauders answered with four straight points for a 16-12 lead before BSU made another push, using an Anacius kill, a Hale kill and a Hale-Anacius block to pull even at 18-18. The Marauders moved back ahead late and reached 24-20, and although Amara Pope and Swinton answered with kills, Marissa Storti finished the set for a 25-22 Millersville win.
Swinton led the Bulldogs with 13 kills, four service aces and 18.5 points while adding nine digs. Hale finished with 27 assists, four digs, three kills and one ace. Mil'lanni Marte recorded a team-high 14 digs. Wright added six kills on a .357 hitting percentage with one service ace.
Up next, BSU hosts Lincoln University (PA) on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. at A.C. Jordan Arena in Bowie, Md.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sport teams, please visit bsubulldogs.com.
