WILBERFORCE, Ohio — The Central State Marauders delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Saturday afternoon, knocking off University of Maryland Eastern Shore in four sets (24-26, 31-29, 25-21, 25-19) inside Beacom/Lewis Gym.
The win moves Central State to 3-8 overall and marks a statement victory over an 8-5 UMES squad that entered the match with strong offensive numbers.
The Hawks opened the match hitting .385 in the first set, narrowly escaping with a 26-24 win. But the Marauders never wavered.
Set two proved to be the turning point. Central State matched UMES point-for-point in a marathon 31-29 battle, hitting .300 in the frame with 17 kills. The resilience shown in that extended set shifted momentum squarely in favor of the Marauders.
From there, Central State controlled the tempo.
-
Set 3: CSU limited UMES to just a .059 hitting percentage (5 kills, 4 errors) while posting 14 kills of their own.
-
Set 4: The Marauders closed strong, hitting .346 with 13 kills and just four errors to seal the match.
For the contest, Central State outhit UMES .287 to .231 and finished with a commanding 55-43 advantage in kills.
The Marauders showcased a three-headed offensive threat:
Falayi anchored the front line defensively, leading all players with six blocks, while Smith delivered production across every statistical column.
At the controls, Christopher Demetriou orchestrated the offense masterfully, distributing 44 assists and keeping all attacking options involved. The balanced attack forced UMES to defend the entire net and prevented them from keying in on any single hitter.
Defense proved to be a difference-maker.
-
Benjamin Latham led the Marauders with 12 digs.
-
Jaedyn Harris added 8 digs and 2 aces.
-
Central State recorded 8 team blocks and held UMES below .150 hitting in two of the final three sets.
The Marauders also applied consistent pressure from the service line, totaling 8 aces compared to just 2 from the Hawks.
By the Numbers
-
55 kills (season-best team output)
-
.287 team hitting percentage
-
44 assists from Demetriou
-
6 blocks from Falayi
-
8 service aces
-
296 fans in attendance
