Next Match:
vs. Coppin State
11/22/2025 | 5 P.M.
Nov. 22 (Sat) / 5 P.M.
Coppin State
History
BALTIMORE, Md. — Howard University volleyball clinched a 3–2 victory over No. 6 UMES on Friday night, propelled by Kristen Dear’s career-high 21 kills. With the win inside the PEC Arena, the No. 2 seed Bison advance to the MEAC Championship match for the third consecutive season, improving to 18–10 overall and moving one win away from reclaiming the conference crown after five tightly contested sets (25–15, 25–21, 25–27, 18–25, 15–8).
Howard controlled the opening set after falling behind 1–0 and then 3–2. Graduate outside hitter Aziah Buckner (Memphis, Tenn.) helped ignite a run with consecutive aces as the Bison erased an 8–8 tie and surged ahead 12–8. Freshman middle blocker Kristen Dear (Carson, Calif.) hammered multiple kills to stretch the lead to 18–12, while senior setter Leah Reeves (Allen, Texas) kept the offense in rhythm. Howard closed the frame on a 7–3 burst to secure the 25–15 win.
The Bison kept their foot on the gas in set two, building an early 3–1 edge before UMES tied it at 3–3. Howard responded with a 5–1 run, highlighted by a Camryn Shelton (Charlotte, N.C.) ace and a pair of kills from Zenai Jethroe (Dallas, Texas) and Dear, to move ahead 8–4. The Hawks trimmed the margin to 10–9, but Reeves distributed three straight assists to McKinnon, Dear, and Kennedi Wright (Plano, Texas) to re-establish control at 14–10. UMES pulled within 22–20 late, but a McKinnon kill pushed the Bison to set point, and Howard closed it out 25–21 to take a 2–0 match lead.
Set three turned into a tight, seesaw battle, with Howard jumping ahead 4–1 before UMES tied it at 6–6 and 9–9. Junior libero Gabby Allen (Laurel, Md.) steadied the Bison with strong passing and an ace that put Howard up 12–10. The teams continued trading points, with McKinnon and Dear keeping Howard even at 17–17 and again at 20–20. Buckner added a clutch ace to give the Bison a 23–22 edge, and Dear delivered a key kill to make it 24–23. UMES fought off two set points, and despite several powerful swings from Dear and Buckner, Howard narrowly dropped the frame 27–25.
UMES carried early momentum into the fourth, jumping ahead 6–1 before Howard cut the deficit to 8–5. Dear and McKinnon sparked a small run that brought the Bison within 12–10, but a 5–1 answer pushed the margin back to 17–11. Shelton delivered another ace, and Claire Simpson (Plainfield, Ill.) added a kill as Howard climbed to within 20–16. Reeves connected with Dear twice late to keep the set alive, but the early gap proved too much to overcome as the Bison fell 25–18, sending the match to a decisive fifth set.
Howard came out firing in the final frame, opening with a 5–0 run fueled by two kills from McKinnon and a Jethroe block. UMES trimmed the lead to 6–3, but Wright delivered a key termination to make it 8–4 at the side switch. Shelton’s defensive pursuit sparked another run, leading to a Dear kill that pushed the margin to 10–6. From there, Howard controlled the pace, closing the match on a 5–2 push capped by another Dear kill to take the set 15–8 and clinch the victory.
Dear delivered the best match of her young career, posting 21 kills on .840 hitting, marking a new career high and the top efficiency performance of the night. McKinnon added 14 kills and 12 digs for her seventh double-double of the season, while Jethroe contributed nine kills and seven blocks in a dominant two-way outing. Reeves was outstanding, finishing with a season-high tying 57 assists and five blocks, while Simpson (11) and Shelton (10) each chipped in double-figure digs to anchor the back row. Buckner also tallied 11 digs while adding four aces to lead the match behind the service line.
As a team, Howard hit .267 while holding UMES to .186, and the Bison edged the Hawks in kills (60–59), blocks (11–9), and service aces (10–3). Howard also recorded 58 assists and 57 digs in the five-set battle.
Howard next faces Coppin State in the 2025 MEAC Championship Saturday at 5 p.m. in Baltimore, marking the team’s third straight championship appearance.
For more information on Howard Volleyball, visit www.hubison.com
