The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks men’s volleyball team lost its second Northeast Conference match of the weekend, 3-1, against the Daemen Wildcats in Amherst, New York on March 28. The Hawks started strong by winning the first set but were unable to maintain their momentum as Daemen took the next three sets.
This match is significant for both teams as it affects their standings in the Northeast Conference. The Hawks now hold a record of 12-9 overall and 2-4 in conference play, while Daemen improves to 12-10 overall and 5-3 in the NEC.
In the opening set, Maryland Eastern Shore quickly built a lead with effective blocks and attacking errors from Daemen. The Hawks led by as many as eight points at several moments before closing out a convincing 25-16 win. However, Daemen responded in the second set by pulling ahead midway through and securing a narrow victory at 25-20 despite efforts from UMES players Mills and Hightower.
The third set saw UMES take an early lead thanks to kills from Valentine and errors by Daemen, but the Wildcats eventually overtook them to win 25-21. In a closely contested fourth set where neither side could build more than a two-point advantage, UMES was paced by six kills while Valentine and Hightower added two each. Despite these efforts, Daemen managed to close out the match with a tight score of 25-23.
Statistically, one player led UMES with nine kills along with four digs and two assists. Another contributed seven kills over just two sets plus additional defensive stats. The team’s setter recorded 33 assists alongside other contributions on offense and defense. Overall, UMES scored a total of 89 points compared to Daemen’s 91; however, Daemen tallied significantly more kills (61) than Maryland Eastern Shore (39).
Looking ahead, Maryland Eastern Shore will return home for back-to-back NEC matches against LIU on April 3 at 6 p.m., followed by another game on April 4 at 2 p.m.
