Box Score

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University volleyball team lost a tough match Tuesday evening in Holland Hall, as Norfolk State came away with a 3-2 (25-23, 18-25, 27-29, 25-14, 15-10) win in front of a raucous crowd.

Norfolk State has won five straight against Hampton and six out of the last seven.

After the Lady Spartans took the opening set, the Lady Pirates (0-5) responded by winning the second and third sets. Hampton took charge early in the second set, jumping out to an 8-1 lead. In all, the Lady Pirates had a .241 hitting percentage in the second game, thanks to nine kills and just two errors in 29 total attacks.

Senior Aaryn Harrison (Cary, N.C.) had a team-high three kills in the second set.

The Lady Pirates then survived five set points to take the third set 29-27, thanks in large part to 15 errors from Norfolk State (3-2). The Lady Spartans hit -.055 in the third set, recording just 12 kills to those 15 errors in 55 total attacks.

Hampton, which at one point in the third set was down 16-19 before rallying to take a 24-21 lead, had six kills in the third set, led by three from freshman Petra Parros (Bloomfield, New Jersey).

The Lady Pirates opened the fourth set with a 4-2 lead, but Norfolk State went on a furious run to take a 16-5 lead and complete command of the fourth set. Norfolk State hit .500 (13 kills, two errors, 22 total attacks) as a team in the fourth set.

The Lady Spartans then capitalized in the fifth and deciding set for the victory, recording nine kills and two errors in 19 total attacks for a .368 hitting percentage.

In all, Hampton had a team hitting percentage of .106, thanks to 38 kills and 23 errors in 142 total attacks. The Lady Pirates also had six service aces and blocked 18 attacks. Norfolk State hit .119 as a team with 54 kills and 35 errors in 159 total attacks, while also recording 14 service aces and blocking six attacks.

Harrison led the Lady Pirates with 14 kills in 43 total attacks, hitting .209, while Parros had a team-best .400 hitting percentage thanks to eight kills and just two errors in 15 total attacks. Junior Lina Cordoba (Bogota , Columbia) and freshman Ioana Kalfinova (Sofia, Bulgaria) each had five kills, while Kalfinova also recorded a team-high four service aces.

Junior Lihi Elkayam (Misgav, Israel) had 33 of Hampton's 36 assists, while freshman Sheileen Pagan (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico) had a team-high 15 digs on defense to go along with four kills. Kalfinova added 14 digs on defense, while sophomore Brittany Hill (Sacramento, Calif.) added 10.

Paige Gary-Canty led Norfolk State with 16 kills, hitting .171 thanks to just nine errors in 41 total attacks. Arielle Knafel added 12 kills, while also adding 16 digs on defense.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Friday and Saturday, when they head to Williamsburg, Va. to compete in the William & Mary Invitational. Their first match will be on Friday at 4 p.m., when they face American University, before they face William & Mary at 1 p.m. and Campbell at 4 p.m. on Saturday.

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.