HAMPTON, Va. – Fresh off the most difficult non-conference schedule in program history, the Hampton University volleyball team emphatically opened conference play Friday night at Holland Hall with a 3-0 (25-13, 25-19, 25-16) win over rival Norfolk State.
 
The Lady Pirates (6-8, 1-0 MEAC) hit .421 for the match, with 38 kills and just six errors.

"Tonight was a great match for our program," head coach Karen Weatherington said. "We played as a unit, and this was the result of the fight we've shown in tough situations. We faced some tough teams in the preseason, and to open MEAC play against our rival, we knew we faced a tough challenge.

"The team has worked hard to focus on defense and ball control. We knew execution was going to be important. We showed lots of resolve tonight, and I'm proud of the team effort."
 
Senior rightside Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic) led the way with 15 kills and 11 digs, recording her eighth double-double of the season. She hit .481 for the match, recording just two errors. Senior outside hitter Sonja Maksimovic (Belgrade, Serbia) added 11 kills and hit .500 for the match.
 
Senior outside hitter Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) added to a balanced Hampton attack with eight kills and just one error, hitting .467. Redshirt freshman middle blocker Kennedy Kenney (Milpitas, Calif.) hit .400 with two kills in five chances.
 
Senior setter Kitija Megne (Kuldiga, Latvia) had 31 of Hampton's 35 assists.

"Vendy, Krista, and Sonja attacked smart, and Kitija's execution and decisions in transition were very good," Weatherington said.
 
After watching their 2013 championship banner drop, the Lady Pirates came out of the gates on fire, hitting .526 (11 kills, one error in 19 chances) in the first set. They held an early 8-3 lead, and that lead grew to 10-5 after a kill from Maksimovic.
 
Norfolk State (0-13, 0-1 MEAC) cut the lead to 13-9, before Hampton scored the next five points to take a 19-8 lead on a kill from Strakova. The Spartans cut the lead to 20-11, but the Lady Pirates rattled off four straight points, going up 24-11 on a block from Maksimovic and senior Marija Kocevska (SkopjeKarpos, Macedonia).
 
Norfolk State scored the next point, but Hampton clinched the set on the following rally.
 
Hampton's hot streak continued in the second set, as the Lady Pirates hit a match-best .577 (17 kills, two errors in 26 attacks) in that frame. A kill from Strakova gave the Lady Pirates a 7-3 lead, before Hampton later took a 9-4 lead to force the Spartans into a timeout.
 
The momentum continued after that, with the Lady Pirates taking an 11-5 lead on an ace from Megne. A kill from Maksimovic later gave Hampton a 14-7 lead, before the Spartans went on a 6-1 run to cut the lead to 15-13.
 
Hampton answered by scoring the next three points, going up 18-13 on a kill from Kraskura.
 
Norfolk State cut the lead to 20-17, before the Lady Pirates went on a 5-2 run to close out the set, taking a 2-0 lead in the match after back-to-back kills from Maksimovic.
 
Another Maksimovic kill later gave Hampton a 6-4 lead in the third set, and an ace from Strakova gave the Lady Pirates a 9-5 lead. Norfolk State cut the lead to 10-7, before the Lady Pirates opened things up with a 7-3 run to take a 17-10 lead after an ace from junior Allysa Medina (Menifee, Calif.).
 
The Spartans scored the next two points, cutting the lead to 17-12, before Hampton went on a 6-2 run, taking a 23-14 lead on a kill from Megne.
 
Again, Norfolk State scored the next two points, but a Spartans error, and an ace from Megne, gave the Lady Pirates the third set and the match.
 
The Lady Pirates are 13-6 in three-set matches dating back to the start of last season.

"We have a tough road trip coming up," Weatherington said, "and it helps to start the conference season on a positive note."
 
The Lady Pirates head to Baltimore, Md. on Sunday to take on Morgan State at 3 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.