BALTIMORE, Md. – The Hampton University volleyball team fell in straight sets at Talmadge Hill Field House on Friday evening, as Morgan State won the match 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 30-28).
 
The Lady Pirates fell to 1-19 overall and 1-6 in MEAC play this season.
 
Reeana Richardson led Hampton with 16 kills, while she and Mallory Beard each had eight digs to lead the Lady Pirates on the defensive end. Richardson hit .313 for the match, while Tatyana Thomas hit a team-best .400 (eight kills, two errors in 15 attacks).
 
Brianna Lilly racked up 37 of Hampton's 40 assists.
 
Erin Napoleon had two of the Lady Pirates' three service aces.
 
Morgan State (8-13, 5-2 MEAC) hit .299 for the match, while the Lady Pirates hit .180 (43 kills, 23 errors in 111 total attacks).
 
The Lady Pirates held a 5-4 lead early in the first set, and a kill from Richardson later in the set tied the set at 7-7. But the Bears rattled off the next four points to open up an 11-7 lead. Hampton scored five of the next eight points, cutting the lead to 14-12 after a kill from Lena Washington.
 
But Morgan State answered with another 4-0 spurt, opening up an 18-12 lead. The Lady Pirates then went on a 5-2 run, cutting the lead to 20-17 after a kill from Beard. An ace from Richardson later in the set closed the gap to 23-20.
 
The Bears scored the next two points, though, to take the first set.
 
A kill from Richardson at roughly the midway point of the second set tied the score at 12-12, before Morgan State went on a 4-2 spurt to take a 16-14 lead. But the Lady Pirates scored the next three points – a Kyndall Nicholas kill, a Morgan State attack error, and a block from Lilly and Nicholas – to go up 17-16.
 
The Bears answered with an 8-2 run to take a 24-19 lead, forcing set point. Richardson registered a kill on the next rally, cutting the lead to 24-20, before Morgan State scored on the ensuing rally and took a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
Both teams hit their best in the third set; Morgan State hit .324 (15 kills, four errors in 34 attacks) in the frame, while Hampton hit .304 (20 kills, six errors in 46 attacks).
 
Morgan State appeared to have control early in the set, leading 8-3. The Bears later held an 11-4 edge before the Lady Pirates began chipping away at the lead. A 6-2 run cut Morgan State's lead to 13-10 after a bad set, but the Bears continued to hold the lead – eventually growing that advantage to 23-18.
 
But Hampton went on a 5-0 run, tying the set at 23-23 on a kill from Allysa Medina.
 
Morgan State forced match point on the following rally, before Nicholas and Medina each registered kills to give the Lady Pirates a 25-24 lead and a chance at forcing a fourth set. But the Bears scored the next two points and again forced match point at 26-25.
 
Hampton scored three of the next four, taking a 28-27 lead after an ace from Napoleon.
 
But the Bears answered by scoring the next three points to clinch the set and win the match.
 
Keana Brown led Morgan State with nine kills.
 
The Lady Pirates will be at Coppin State on Sunday 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.