Towson Volleyball Falls to Delaware in Semifinal Thriller, Concludes Season Ranked No. 3 in CAA

By: D’Mari Dreher-Smith, Sports Editor and Kylie Jones, Staff Writer

Following a clean sweep against Stony Brook, the No. 3 Towson Tigers now face off against the reigning champions, the No. 3 Delaware Blue Hens with the goal of making it to the championship match on Saturday. 

In an explosive start, led by an immediate kill from Zyare Abdul-Rahim, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run, forcing Delaware to an early timeout.

After the timeout, Delaware was able to put up a few points of their own, but that wouldn’t stop Towson from going on a four point run, which included a service ace from Kaitlyn Moran. The Tigers now led 15-7 against the Blue Hens from Delaware, and with an exciting service ace by Maisie Jesse, Towson looked to keep pushing.

To make the spread even wider, Defensive Specialist Laura Deitweiler, delivered three back-to-back points for the Tigers, getting a service ace and making it 21-11. Another service ace from Moran delivered the Tigers the first set, the energy in Towson Arena unmatched.

The Blue Hens were ready to battle back in the second set, showcasing their strong offensive skills and taking a 14-9 lead over the Tigers. The Tigers would try to shrink this lead, and despite a series of kills from Barrett and De Mango, the Hens held on. 

Now with a score of 19-14, the Tigers would deliver five straight points which would electrify TU Arena. The lead seemed within reach now for the Tigers, but Delaware would then score two points to make the score 21-19.

After a timeout from Towson, they would bring the set back to a draw. Now both teams would go back and forth taking points for themselves, but Delaware was able to score three straight, taking the second set for themselves with a score of 25-23. 

A crucial third set would start with Towson taking the early lead, but that didn’t stop the Blue Hens from rallying back to an 8-8 tie game. The fight for the lead would continue, with Towson finally taking it after a kill from Sarah Callender. 

Towson added three more kills, two from Abdul-Rahim and one from Barrett to separate themselves even further. Erin Brothers would then deliver a kill to make the score 16-11 and send the Blue Hens to timeout. 

The Tigers would continue to gain points thanks to impressive performances from De Mango and Abdul-Rahim. Now with a score of 21-19, Callendar would deliver a kill to excite the Tigers but that wouldn’t stop Delaware from battling back to a 23-23 draw. 

Despite a challenge from the Tigers, the Blue Hens delivered the final point, securing the third set for themselves. 

The fourth set was do-or-die for Towson, the match going back and forth. For every point the Tigers scored, the Blue Hens rallied back with an attack of their own. The Tigers struggled, allowing the Hens to go on multiple short two point runs. But defensively the Tigers still held their own, not letting the Hens points go unanswered.

As the fourth set got close to the end, both teams began going point for point, the score being 23-23, before a Towson timeout. Both teams exchanged set points, neither team allowing the set to end, 27-27. A kill from Blue Hens Kirah Johnson and an attacking error from Barrett delivered the final set and the match to Delaware.

Towson Volleyball concludes their season ranked No. 3 in the CAA, capping off a remarkable year of hard-fought competition.