The Tribune

THE University of The Bahamas Mingoes women’s volleyball team needed the full match, including an extended fifth set, to take out The Midnight Aces in UB Showcase action at The Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium on Tuesday.

The Mingoes won in five sets - 25-17, 25-19, 18-25, 17-25 and 17-15.

Behind the strong attack from hitter Miracle Stubbs, the Mingoes started off strong going up 7-1 in the first set and eventually took the set 25-17.

Stubbs continued her strong hitting - ending with 12 kills on the night - into the second set as the Mingoes took that set 25-19.

In the third set, the Aces started off strong with a 6-0 start, forcing a Mingoes timeout. The Mingoes were able to claw back to a 16-16 tie but the Aces’ attack was too strong and the Mingoes fell 25-18. 

The fourth set started a bit more even for the Mingoes with the team only trailing 15-12 at one point. The Aces were able to find holes in the Mingoes’ backcourt and took the set 25-17.

In the decisive fifth set, the Mingoes tied the Aces seven times at 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and deuce at 14 and 15.  With The Mingoes leading 16-15 and after two volleys, UB setter Zaria Rose, with a near perfect outside set to Hanna McBride, drew an Aces player in for a net violation to end the match. 

“The first two sets we came out and had the energy. We were serving and we were communicating at a high level,” middle blocker Anjeniker Joseph said. “But in the third and fourth set we just fell short on just about everything so that’s why we had to fight in the fifth set.”

Joseph, who had eight blocks and six kills, said the team had to hustle hard to pull off the fifth-set win. 

“We had to pick up the energy and we had to come back with our service and be really strong on defence,” she said. “We were determined to win the match.  Defence was important in the fifth set, especially playing this team and so we had to be disciplined.”