HAMPTON, Va. – A double-double from Allysa Medina and 20 kills from Reeana Richardson helped the Hampton University volleyball team defeat Delaware State 3-1 (25-13, 28-26, 22-25, 25-23) in Holland Hall on Friday.
 
The Lady Pirates improved to 3-20 overall and 3-7 in MEAC play on the season.
 
In addition to Richardson's team-high 20 kills, the Lady Pirates got 10 kills and 16 digs from Medina for her fourth double-double of the season. Alexandra Erhart, with three kills and just one error in seven attacks, hit a team-best .286.
 
Erhart also had 19 assists and a team-high five blocks.
 
Brianna Lilly added a team-high 20 assists, while Mallory Beard had a team-high 18 digs on defense.
 
Lena Washington added 10 digs.
 
Erin Napoleon led the Lady Pirates with a career-high four service aces.
 
The Lady Pirates hit .142 (48 kills, 27 errors in 148 total attacks) for the match – compared to just .046 hitting for the Hornets. Hampton held a 7-4 edge in service aces and 9-7 in blocks.
 
Hampton immediately took advantage in the first set, jumping out to a 7-1 lead following a block from Kennedy Kenney. Ultimately, the Lady Pirates held a 9-2 lead in the early stages of the set thanks to a kill from Richardson.
 
Delaware State (2-22, 0-9 MEAC) closed the gap to 13-7 before Hampton scored the next eight points, taking a 21-7 lead – thanks to five Hornet attack errors and a service error.
 
The Hornets scored the next four, cutting the lead to 21-11, but Hampton closed out the set with a 4-2 run and took a 1-0 lead in the match. The Lady Pirates hit a team-best .208 in the first set, while holding Delaware State to -.200 hitting.
 
The Hornets bounced back in the second set to hit a team-best .167, even though the Lady Pirates jumped out to an 8-3 lead after a kill from Richardson. An attack error from the Hornets later in the set gave Hampton a 10-7 lead.
 
Delaware State cut the gap to 13-12 before the Lady Pirates went on a 3-0 spurt to take a 16-12 lead. But the Hornets scored the next five points to take a 17-16 lead, their first of the match, before Hampton went on a 5-2 run to take a 21-19 lead.
 
The Hornets tied the score four times in the closing moments of the set, including the final instance at 25-25 before taking a 26-27 lead. But a kill from Medina and an ace from Bears helped the Lady Pirates clinch the set and go up 2-0 in the match.
 
Delaware State led early in the third set before the Lady Pirates went on a 4-1 spurt to take a 10-9 lead after a Hornets attack error. Another error from the Hornets later in the set gave Hampton a 14-13 lead, and a kill from Erhart later in the set cut the Hornet's lead to 19-18.
 
But Delaware State scored five of the next six points to force set point, going up 24-19.
 
Hampton answered with three straight points, cutting the lead to 24-22 following a block from Kyndall Nicholas and Washington, but the Hornets scored on the following rally to avoid the sweep.
 
The Hornets appeared ready to force a fifth set as well, leading 9-7 after the opening moments. But after the Hornets took a 15-13 lead, the Lady Pirates answered with a 5-1 run, taking an 18-16 lead after a kill from Richardson.
 
Delaware State scored the next three points to take a 19-18 lead, but another 5-1 Hampton run put the Lady Pirates up 23-20 after another Richardson kill.
 
The Hornets fought back to tie the set at 23-23, before a kill from Medina and a Hornets attack error clinched the set and the match.
 
This was Hampton's first four-set win of the season.
 
Jasmine Jackson led Delaware State with 17 kills.
 
The Lady Pirates will close out their home slate on Sunday at 3 p.m. against rival Norfolk State. 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.