BOWIE, Md. - Bowie State (3-5, 1-2 CIAA) took down Virginia Union (3-7, 0-2 CIAA) in a sweep to end a three-match losing streak, while concluding their home stand on an amazing note Monday night inside A.C. Jordan Arena.
The opening set stayed even through 8-8 before the Bulldogs scored four straight points on a Virginia Union service error, an attack error, a Mil'lanni Marte ace and a Taylor Johnson kill from Gabrielle Hale to move ahead 12-8. BSU kept adding points through the middle of the set, with Jy'Asha Cousins and Abena Asomani-Martin producing kills before a Johnson ace made it 16-10. After the Bulldogs stretched the lead from 17-12 to 21-12 with kills by Melisa Anacius and Asomani-Martin, Virginia Union got back to 23-17, but Johnson's kill brought up set point and Cousins' block finished the 25-17 set win.
The Bulldogs opened the second set with Johnson's kill and a Virginia Union attack error, but Virginia Union scored the next five points to move ahead 5-2. Payton Swinton had two kills during the response, and after Virginia Union held a 6-3 lead, an Anacius block assist and back-to-back Marte service aces put BSU in front 7-6. Virginia Union came back to lead 11-9, but Asomani-Martin's kill started five straight Bulldogs points that included blocks by Anacius and Johnson and kills by Johnson and Anacius for a 14-11 edge. BSU stayed ahead from there, adding kills from Cousins, Johnson and Asomani-Martin Johnson ace and an Anacius-Asomani-Martin block assist before closing the set 25-17 on a Virginia Union service error.
BSU built early separation in the third set, using kills by Johnson and Hale, a Hale service ace and a Swinton-Anacius block to move ahead 7-2. Virginia Union cut the margin to 10-7 with a Zinnia Pickett ace and kills from Alexandra Perot and Jordin Hicks, but the Bulldogs answered with five of the next six points, including an Asomani-Martin kill and service ace, to go up 15-8. BSU kept control through the middle of the set with kills from Johnson, Anacius, Swinton and Asomani-Martin pushing the score to 21-13. Asomani-Martin added another kill for 22-15, Swinton served an ace and Cousins teamed with Hale on a block for set point before Camille Crooks finished the 25-16 set with a kill from Hale.
Asomani-Martin recorded nine kills on .643 hitting and added eight digs. Johnson finished with eight kills, two service aces, seven digs and three total blocks. Hale tallied 27 assists, three kills and one service ace. Cousins posted five total blocks and added five kills.
Alana Simmons tallied a team-high seven kills and added six digs. Sanai Doster finished with six kills, three total blocks and 8.5 points. Jordan Carter recorded 15 digs for Virginia Union. Zinnia Pickett posted 11 assists, four service aces and three digs.
Up next, the Bulldogs volleyball team will travel to Winston-Salem, NC to compete in the seasons first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) round up on Friday, Oct. 2, hosted by Winston-Salem State. Bowie State will face Bluefield State and Johnson C. Smith at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., on Friday, followed by tilts with Claflin (9 a.m.) and Livingstone (3 p.m.) on Saturday. The Bulldogs will conclude the round up on Sunday with contests against Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
For the most up-to-date information on Bowie State Athletics and its 14 varsity sport teams, please visit BSUBulldogs.com and follow the Bulldogs on social media.
