RALEIGH, NC —Bowie State women's volleyball team defeated Shaw 3-2 on Thursday with set scores of 20-25, 25-22, 25-15, 11-25 and 15-10 inside C.C. Spaulding Gymnasium. After Shaw forced a fifth set, the Bulldogs moved in front in the deciding set after trailing by one and won the set 15-10. BSU finished with 10 service aces and 10 total blocks in the conference victory
Shaw built a 10-6 lead in the opening set before Bowie State put together seven straight points, starting with an Abena Asomani-Martin kill and continuing through Payton Swinton's serve to move ahead 13-10. Shaw came back to tie it at 14-14, but Melisa Anacius put the Bulldogs back in front with a kill and Jy'Asha Cousins and Gabrielle Hale combined on a block for a 16-14 edge. The set stayed tight through a Madyson Brinson-Cousins block that pulled BSU even at 19-19, but Shaw scored six of the final seven points, including a Taelin Connolley ace and a Sydni Hunter block, to take the set 25-20.
The Bulldogs erased an early 7-4 deficit in the second set, getting two kills from Asomani-Martin around a Shaw attack error to move in front 8-7. The Lady Bears moved back ahead 17-14 before BSU pulled even on Kimiko Evans' service ace, and the Bulldogs later used consecutive kills by Anacius, a Trinity Loundmon ace and another Asomani-Martin kill to take a 21-19 lead. A Shaw attack error put BSU back in front, Taylor Johnson added a kill and Asomani-Martin served an ace before Anacius finished the 25-22 set win with a kill from Loundmon.
A Johnson kill, a block by Amara Pope and Brinson on a Shaw attack error, and another Johnson kill helped BSU open the third set ahead 3-0, and the Bulldogs later used kills from Swinton and Johnson to build an 11-6 lead. The Bulldogs moved to set point with Pope kill, a Shaw attack error, an Asomani-Martin kill and her service ace, and Johnson finished the set with a kill for a 25-15 win.
The Bulldogs were even at 3-3 after Abena Asomani-Martin's kill, but Shaw broke the tie with seven straight points to move in front 10-3 behind three kills from Nevaeh Ortiz and two from Kamaria Sanders. Loundmon's kill brought the Bulldogs to 17-9, but Shaw scored five straight from there and closed the set 25-11 on Ortiz's kill.
BSU trailed 3-2 early in the fifth set before moving in front behind a Shaw attack error and consecutive service aces from Evans for a 6-3 lead. After Shaw got one point back, the Bulldogs pushed the margin to 8-4 and later stretched it to 12-5 with help from an Asomani-Martin kill, a block by Hale and Anacius, and an Asomani-Martin ace. Shaw answered with four straight points, including two Nevaeh Ortiz aces, to close to 12-9. Johnson ended that run with a kill, added another for set point at 14-10, and a block by Swinton and Cousins finished BSU's 15-10 set win.
The win improves Bowie State to 7-8 overall and an even 5-5 in CIAA play while Shaw drops to 4-14 overall and 4-6 in CIAA play.
Asomani-Martin led the Bulldogs with 17 points, recording 14 kills and three service aces. Anacius added eight kills while hitting .429 and finished with five total blocks. Hale posted 23 assists with seven digs, four kills and two blocks. Mil'lanni Marte collected 15 digs and added two service aces.
Taelin Connolley finished with 12 kills, 16.5 points, two aces and three total blocks. Nevaeh Ortiz added 11 kills, 23 digs and four service aces. Justus Alexander recorded 32 assists, two aces and seven digs. Mary Barnes collected 18 digs.
Up next, the Bulldogs travel to Elizabeth City, NC, to face Elizabeth City State University on Monday, Oct. 12 at 6 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State and its 14 varsity sport teams, visit bsubulldogs.com.
