TOWSON, Md. -- Playing at SECU Arena for the first time in nearly a month, the Towson University women's volleyball program triumphed over long-time rival University of Delaware Friday night by a 3-1 count.

Towson (20-3, 8-3 CAA) dropped its Colonial Athletic Association foe 25-11, 23-25, 25-14, 25-21, thanks to another double-double from Emily Jarome, who put up 15 kills and 11 digs alongside a .323 hitting percentage and three service aces. Fay Bakodimou added 12 kills as Irbe Lazda posted seven. Megan Wilson led the offense with 25 assists, with Towson's defense coming up with 12 total blocks and holding Delaware to a .130 hitting percentage. Rachel Hess led the day with 16 digs.

Delaware (11-11, 6-7 CAA) was led by 14 kills from Lauryn Richardson, who hit at a .333 rate. Lani Mason added 11 kills as well while Ezgi Basaranlar led the match with 28 assists. Mason hauled in 10 digs while Katie Turner led the Blue Hens with 11.

How it Happened

• Feeling juiced to be back at SECU Arena for the first time since October 9, the Tigers came out swinging and very quickly took a 12-3 lead, kicked off with a 5-1 run. 
• Towson's defense was firm, not allowing Delaware more than consecutive points at any time in the opening set. After Delaware pulled within two at 5-3 Towson, the Tigers ripped off a 7-0 run that included two blocks from Jarome and Lydia Wiers.
• The Blue Hens cut Towson's lead in half at 14-7, but Towson continued to out-pace Delaware, utilizing a 5-1 run to make it 22-9. Delaware scored its last two points before the Tigers snapped off a 3-0 run to finish the set 25-23.
• Set two was back and forth early and often with eight different ties in the first 18 serves. Trailing 9-7, Towson went for a 5-0 run to take a 12-9 lead, capitalizing on some out-of-system plays and kills from Jarome, Bakodimou and Lazda.
• The Tigers jumped the lead out to five at 17-12 and 18-13 before Delaware slowly worked back into the set. With Towson leading 23-22, Delaware made a 3-0 run in the race to 25, taking its first set from Towson since the 2017 season at 25-23.
• Set three saw the Tigers jump out to another quick lead, this time at 7-3 before a 5-0 run put Delaware up 8-7. The Tigers edged back with a 5-2 run to take a 12-10, a lead it would not relinquish the remainder of the set.
• After the visiting side pulled within one at 12-11, Towson ripped off five straight points for a 17-11 advantage. The teams traded chances late in the set, but a 6-0 run for Towson, capped with an emphatic block from Lazda and Nikiya Mitchell to end the set, gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead in the match after a 25-14 win.
• Set four put Delaware up 4-0 quickly behind several Towson miscues, pushing the Tigers into an early timeout. Out of the interlude, Towson went on a 5-1 run to tie the set 5-5. The teams traded ties and lead changes several times in the middle of the fourth before Towson, trailing 16-15, put away a 6-0 run for a 21-16 lead. That run included kills from several sources, including Jarome, Mitchell and Morgan Wilson, along with an ace from Wiers.
• Towson reached match point with room to spare at 24-18. Despite the gap, Delaware challenged late with a 3-0 run before a Bakodimou kill finished the evening with a 25-21 Towson set win.

Behind the Numbers

• Jarome, who grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, had the best showing of her career against Delaware with her 15 kills. She now has double-digit kills in each of the Tigers last five matches.
• Bakodimou balanced Towson's offense with her 12 kills and .321 hitting percentage while dropping in a service ace to extend her ace-scoring streak to eight matches in a row with at least one. She has just two CAA matches this season without an ace.
• Mitchell was again a force at the net with six total blocks while Jarome and Lazdda added five each. Five different Tigers had a hand on the block tonight as well. 
• Hess picked up 16 digs in the libero jersey on Friday night, adding two assists along the way as well. Megan Wilson led the Tigers with her 25 assists while Kristin Spengler put up 15 in her four sets of action.
• Towson has won nine straight matches against Delaware, kicking off the run on Oct. 11, 2017. Towson has dropped just two sets to the Blue Hens in that time. Friday's win broke a deadlock at home as Towson now leads the series 18-17 in home matches. The Tigers lead the series 46-39. Towson and Delaware have met at least once a year since Towson first sponsored volleyball in 1976.
• Towson is 12-1 at SECU Arena this year, the second-straight full season of action the Tigers have a dozen wins at home. Towson picked up its 20th win of the year as well, also the second-straight full season with at least 20 wins.
• Under head coach Don Metil, the Tigers have won at least 20 matches in six of his nine seasons at the helm, eight of which have been full seasons (excluding the COVID-19 Pandemic-shortened Spring 2021 campaign).

Up Next for Towson

• The Tigers return to SECU Arena on Sunday afternoon to face Delaware for the second time this fall and fourth time in the calendar year 2021.
• First serve is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday as the match will be carried on FloVolleyball.