The University of Maryland Eastern Shore men’s volleyball team concluded its first season as a program on Apr. 25, falling to Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) in the semifinals of the 2026 Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship, with a final score of 1-3.
This match marked the end of an important milestone for the Hawks, who qualified for postseason play as the No. 3 seed after achieving a 7-5 record in conference matches during their debut year. The team’s overall record stood at 17-11.
In their semifinal matchup against FDU, Maryland Eastern Shore started strong by winning the first set but ultimately lost three consecutive sets with close scores: 19-25, 25-23, 25-23, and 25-23. The game was tightly contested throughout, with both teams exchanging leads and runs before FDU secured victory in each of the final three sets.
Junior Mills led UMES with a match-high of 17 kills and recorded a hitting efficiency of nearly fifty-eight percent. Mills also contributed one service ace, one block, and four digs. Hightower and Rowley each reached double digits in kills with fourteen and ten respectively; Hightower added four digs while Rowley tallied seven more.
Defensively, Valentine led UMES in blocks with two block assists and one solo block alongside nine kills and two service aces. Setter Haynes registered over fifty assists for his fourth consecutive match—finishing this contest with fifty-six assists along with two kills, an ace, and nine digs. The team’s liberos combined for seven digs: Piloton Jr had three while another player added four.
The conclusion of this inaugural campaign marks significant progress for Maryland Eastern Shore men’s volleyball as they look ahead to future seasons.
