MADISON, Wis. – The Howard University volleyball team (26-5) will make its second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament when it challenges third-seeded Wisconsin (25-4) in a first round matchup on Thursday, Dec. 1. First serve is set for 8:30 p.m. ET in UW Field House.
Wisconsin is serving as a first and second round site host. Marquette and Washington State will face off in the earlier first round match, which begins at 6 p.m. ET.
The Bison earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament after taking down Florida A&M in four sets to clinch the 2016 MEAC Championship, making the them back-to-back conference champs. Head coach Shaun Kupferberg was named the tournament's Outstanding Coach and junior Khaila Donaldson was tabbed as Outstanding Performer for the second time. She was joined by senior Katherine Broussard and junior Jessica Young on the All-Tournament Team.
It is also the third year in a row that the Bison have won at least a share of the Northern Division crown, having claimed it outright in 2015 and 2016. HU went a perfect 12-0 in MEAC play for the first undefeated league record since the 1994 season (8-0). The Bison haven't lost to a MEAC opponent since Oct. 2, 2015 and has won 29 consecutive matches against conference opponents.
Howard is currently riding a 16-match win streak and has a 26-5 overall record. It is the third 20-plus win season under Kupferberg's guidance, who has been at the helm since 2012, and the first with single digits in the loss column.
This season, the Bison earned 15 of its victories by way of a 3-0 sweep and 10 wins in four sets. HU only played three five-set matches for a 1-2 mark.
Howard showed it could also take care of business on the defensive end by limiting its opponents to a .121 hitting percentage, which is the top mark in the country.
Individually, Donaldson lived up to preseason predictions by being selected as the 2016 MEAC Player of the Year. She picked up All-MEAC First Team honors and is Howard's all-time program leader with 1,228 kills. Senior Morgan Marlbrough and sophomore Tamia Dockery also garnered All-MEAC First Team recognition. Kupferberg nabbed his second MEAC Coach of the Year nod after leading the team to its fourth straight winning season (2013-16).
Thursday's match will be the first meeting between Howard and Wisconsin. As the No. 3 seed, the Badgers earned the highest seed in program history. Wisconsin is 39-19 (.672) in 19 years of NCAA tournament play, including a 10-3 mark under Coach Kelly Sheffield. UW is making its fourth straight appearance in the tournament.
The Bison are 0-2 in the NCAA Tournament. Howard first made the tournament in 1994 after winning the MEAC Tournament and being selected for a NCAA "Play-In" game to make the full field. Unfortunately, HU lost the match to George Mason. Last season, the Bison earned their first-ever automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament by claiming the 2015 MEAC Championship, but fell to Penn State in the first round.
Fans can keep up with the team by following @HUBisonVB and @HUBisonSports on Twitter.
