HAMPTON, Va. – Despite a third-set push from Morgan State on Sunday, the Hampton University volleyball team won in straight sets, 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 27-25), at Holland Hall.
 
The Lady Pirates (13-9, 8-0 MEAC) have won eight of their last nine matches.
 
Senior rightside Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) led the way with 19 kills, hitting .400 and racking up five aces. Senior outside hitters Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) and Sonja Maksimovic (Belgrade, Serbia), as well as senior middle blocker Marija Kocevska (Skopje, Macedonia), all had six kills.
 
Kocevska hit a team-best .625, while Kraskura led the defense with eight digs.
 
Senior setter Kitija Megne (Kuldiga, Latvia) had 35 assists.
 
Hampton hit .281 (43 kills, 16 errors in 96 attacks), while holding Morgan State to .122 (28 kills, 17 errors in 90 attacks) hitting. Both teams had nine aces, while Morgan State (11-11, 4-5 MEAC) held a 5.0-4.0 edge in team blocks.
 
Morgan State held an 11-10 lead in the first set, before the Lady Pirates went on a 9-1 run to take a 19-12 lead after a kill from Strakova. The Lady Bears responded with a 9-3 run to cut the lead to 22-21, but the Lady Pirates scored the last three points – a kill from Strakova, an ace from Kraskura, and a Morgan State error – to take the first set.
 
Hampton hit .286 (12 kills, four errors in 28 attacks) in the first set.
 
Hampton led 5-2 early in the second set, before Morgan State came back to take an 8-6 lead. The Lady Bears later held an 11-8 lead, before Hampton went on a 4-0 spurt to take a 12-11 lead after a kill from Strakova.
 
Morgan State fought back to tie the set at 16-16, but three straight points from the Lady Pirates put them up 19-16. Another Lady Bears comeback cut the Lady Pirates' lead to 21-20, but Hampton scored the last four points to take the set and go up 2-0 in the match.
 
The Lady Pirates hit a match-best .361 (19 kills, six errors in 36 attacks) in the third set, despite Morgan State holding control most of the way through. The Lady Bears led 17-10, before the Lady Pirates went on an 11-4 run to take a 22-21 lead.
 
A kill from Strakova forced match point, with Hampton up 24-22, before Morgan State scored the next two points to tie the set at 24-24. Hampton then scored three of the last four points, taking the 27-25 clincher on a kill from Maksimovic.
 
The Lady Pirates will hit the road for a non-conference tilt at Manhattan on Thursday at 7 p.m. For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.