WASHINGTON, DC --- In a potential preview of the 2015 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship Game, the Northern Division-leading Howard women's volleyball team prevailed over the Southern Division-pacing Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 3-2 (25-20, 18-25, 25-20, 18-25, 15-12) on Thursday evening in Burr Gymnasium. The victory was Howard's fourth in a row, extending the team's longest streak of the season.

Three players logged double digit kills for Howard (9-13, 5-1 MEAC), with a couple of Bison posting double-doubles as well. Junior outside hitter Katherine Broussard led all players with 18 kills while sophomore outside hitter Khaila Donaldson & freshman outside hitter Courtney Dalton added 17 and 12 kills, respectively. Broussard recorded 22 digs for her fourth double-double of the season and Donaldson posted 14 digs to secure her team-leading ninth double-double.

Setters Tamia Dockery and Briana Jackson combined for their third match of 20 or more assists each, recording 28 and 24 assists respectively. Dockery gave the Bison their third double-double of the match by adding 14 digs; the feat was also the sixth of her first collegiate season.

Broussard's 22 digs were a team-high and junior libero Morgan Marlbrough chipped in 15 digs of her own. Junior outside hitter Dominique Cleggett led the Howard defense with a team-best seven assisted blocks - part of the Bison's 11.0 total team blocks.

The back-and-forth victory over Bethune-Cookman (8-14, 5-0 MEAC) evened the Bison's record in five-set affairs to 2-2 (.500). It was also as unpredictable as it was exciting.

THE RUNDOWN
-    The opening set of the match was one of three won wire-to-wire and one of two done so without a tie. Howard jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the set - with four of the six points coming on Wildcat errors - and was able to hold off any chance of a B-CU rally.
-    Howard found itself even with Bethune-Cookman three times in Set 2 but the Bison were unable to grab a lead from the visitors and went into intermission knotted at one set apiece.
-    HU & B-CU combined for 10 total ties and lead changes (six ties, four lead changes) in a highly competitive third set. With the game all square at 11-11, the Bison outscored the Wildcats, 14-9 to close the set and take a 2-1 edge in the match.
-    The second wire-to-wire, untied set went Bethune's way in Set 4 as the Wildcats evened the match at two sets each.
-    Set 5 proved to be as closely played as the rest of match. A match-high nine ties kept both teams within striking distance of each other throughout. Howard took its first lead of the set (7-5) after a pair of B-CU mistakes broke a 5-5 stalemate. Bethune managed to reclaim the lead and held an 11-10 advantage as the match's end drew closer. However, the Bison remained poised enough to make the final surge, outscoring the Wildcats 5-1 down the stretch - with three of HU's five points coming off B-CU miscues.

NEXT UP
Howard returns to Northern Division play on Sunday, October 18 when the Bison host the Coppin State University Lady Eagles for a 3 p.m. match.