WASHINGTON, D.C. – With a 3-0 win (25-16, 25-14, 25-20) over Hampton on Senior Day, the Howard volleyball team clinched the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division championship for the third straight season.
The Bison were able to do right by seniors Janaya Hampton, Dominique Cleggett, Whitney Fields, Katherine Broussard, Briana Jackson and Morgan Marlbrough as they remain perfect in conference play (10-0) and improve to 21-5 overall.
Junior Jessica Young hit .615 after connecting on nine of 13 swings to pace the team. Fields and junior Khaila Donaldson had seven and six kills, respectively, along with two blocks apiece.
Hampton and sophomore Courtney Dalton each had five kills. Jackson handed out 10 assists and sophomore Tamia Dockery tallied a match-high 21 helpers. Marlbrough added 12 digs and Cleggett notched five kills and three blocks.
Both teams came out strong to start the match with the score tied at 7. On back-to-back kills by Fields, the Bison went up 11-8 and the Pirates called the first timeout. Howard refused to slow down as Fields and Hampton combined for four kills to force Hampton back to its bench. The Pirates could not find their footing as six errors handed points to the Bison, who took the set, 25-16.
Two straight aces by Broussard helped Howard go up 8-3 early on. Fields and Donaldson joined together at the net for a pair of blocks to extend the lead to 16-7 as the Pirates burned a timeout. The Bison doubled up on the visitors, 20-10, and never looked back. A hard kill by Hampton closed the set, 25-14.
Howard need to regroup quickly in the final set after the Pirates went on an 8-2 run. Out of the break, the Bison scored seven consecutive points for a 10-9 edge. The two teams tied the score seven more times before Howard was able to pull away for a 19-17 lead and a Hampton timeout. Dalton and Young each added two kills and Cleggett laid down a scorcher to end the set, 25-20.
Micah Leavell led the way for Hampton (5-16, 4-6 MEAC) with 14 kills, five digs and two blocks, while Brianna Lilly posted 25 assists.
The Bison will take their last road trip of the season when they visit Norfolk State on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m.
