The stage wasn’t too big for opposite Andre Mills in his debut at the NCAA Division I-II – nor was it too big for the first-year program.
Mills finished with both a match-high 20 kills on a .462 attack percentage and six blocks as UMES in its inaugural match defeated Rio Piedras 25-22, 17-25, 25-18, 24-26, 15-7 on Monday in Puerto Rico.
The transfer from Division III Eastern Mennonite had 14 combined kills in the final three games, including leading all players with nine kills in the third game. Mills finished with two attack errors and did not commit an error in the final three games.
Mills also had a kill and two blocks as part of an 8-2 run to open the decisive fifth game.
Setter Kenyon Haynes, a transfer from Edward Waters, guided the UMES offense to an errorless performance and a match-best .667 attack percentage in the final game.
UMES for the match out-hit Rio Piedras .310 to .187 and had at least a .375 attack percentage in each of the last three games. In addition, the Hawks had three players finish with double-digit kills.
Freshman outside attacker Tristan Rowley added 12 kills in the non-conference victory. Middle attacker Chase Valentine had 12 kills on a team-best .529 attack percentage highlighted with four kills in the fifth game.
Along with the offensive performance, Valentine had six blocks and two aces.
Pin-hitter Leandro Lopez in the loss ended with both a team-high 20 kills on a .385 attack percentage and three aces. Lopez also had six kills in the fourth game and helped Rio Piedras erase a six-point deficit to force a fifth game.
This was the first of two matches for UMES in Puerto Rico to open its season. UMES is the first NCAA Division I HBCU to sponsor a men’s volleyball program and will compete in the NEC.
Rio Piedras in the offseason became the first Puerto Rican school to join the IVA. The school in the IVA Preseason Poll was picked to finish the seven-team league in sixth place.