BOWIE, MD. – The Millersville University women's volleyball team opened its road stretch with a hard-fought five-set victory over the Bulldogs from Bowie State University. Set scores were 25-22, 25-19, 25-12, 25-16, and 15-13.
 
Millersville (6-16, 1-7) tallied 67.0 points with 47 kills, 11 aces, nine blocks, 42 assists, and 70 digs. Taylor Welter, Sam White, and Alex Nava led the Marauders in kills with Amanda Protzman serving up five aces. Protzman and Marin Esch held the net with four blocks a piece, with Welter, Becca Hartranft, and Sidonia Cecco holding the back court with digs. Bowie State (11-15, 7-5 CIAA) out-hit the Marauders with a .165 hitting percentage.
 
The Marauders opened the match with intensity, jumping out to a 6-1 scoring run fueled by kills from Welter and Esch. Protzman and White kept the offense rolling as Millersville extended its advantage to 10-4. Bowie State responded with four unanswered points to pull within two, but a series of Bulldog errors and additional kills from Welter and Esch rebuilt the Marauders' six-point cushion. However, with the score at 17-12, Bowie State found momentum and rallied for six straight points to take a one-point lead. Millersville fought to regain control but ultimately dropped the opening set after a few late attacking errors.
 
Millersville regrouped in the second set, building a quick two-point lead after a 3-3 start. The Bulldogs stayed close but kills from White and Protzman sparked a 5-1 Marauder run that widened the gap. Bowie State capitalized on a few Millersville errors to close within two, yet the Marauders maintained their composure. Leading 16-13, Millersville pushed ahead with three consecutive points to restore its six-point advantage. Behind strong offensive contributions from Welter, Nava, Esch, and Kat Dalessio, the Marauders limited the Bulldogs to short scoring bursts and closed out the set to even the match at one apiece.
 
Bowie State took control early in the third set, breaking a 5-5 tie with three unanswered points. A kill from Caroline Halsey and a Bulldog error brought Millersville back within one, but Bowie State's offense surged again with a 9-1 scoring run. The Marauders struggled to find consistency on defense and had difficulty breaking through the Bulldogs' blocks, ultimately falling in the set as Bowie State moved ahead 2-1 in the match.
 
Millersville responded in the fourth set, finding its rhythm early and building a four-point lead behind kills from Nava, Esch, and White. The Bulldogs battled back with four straight points, including two service aces, to even the score at eight. Tied at 9-9, the Marauders regained control with a four-point run highlighted by kills from Addy Van Oosten and Protzman. With momentum on their side, Protzman delivered four consecutive service aces to stretch Millersville's lead even further. The Bulldogs tried to rally late, but White and Van Oosten sealed the set victory to force a decisive fifth frame.
 
The Marauders carried that energy into the final set, opening with a commanding 6-1 scoring run led by Makenzie Muscarello, Esch, and Nava. Bowie State battled back to cut the deficit to two and later tied the score at 11 after a four-point surge. With the match hanging in the balance, Millersville held firm under pressure, claiming the final two points to take the fifth set and secure the hard-fought match victory.

"I felt we finally showed some fight and passion at the end of the match," said Millersville Coach Brian Smith. "I'm not sure what sparked it, but I hope the team bottles that for the rest of the week. The win will help with morale heading into a tough road weekend ahead of us [Shepherd and Shippensburg]."

The Marauders are back on the court at Shepherd University Friday, Oct 31 at 7 p.m.