Coach Shaun Kupferberg and the Howard University Women's Volleyball team begins its quest for a third straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title, 10^th overall, Friday, Nov. 17. No. 2 Howard from the North Division squares off against No. 3 North Carolina A&T State from the Southern Division in the MEAC Quarterfinals. Match-time is set for 7 p.m. at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).
 
Fans can follow all the action via live Stats.
 
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
 
The 2017 MEAC Volleyball Championships will be held Friday, Nov. 17 through Sunday, Nov. 19, in the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. Competition begins on Friday at 10 a.m. with the first quarterfinal matches. Saturday's semifinals will start at noon and Sunday's championship finale will be at noon with a live broadcast available through ESPNU and ESPN3.
 
Admission for the tournament is $8 each day and $20 for all three days.
 
UMES and Bethune-Cookman (B-CU) earned the top seeds in the Northern and Southern Divisions, respectively, for this weekend's 2017 MEAC Volleyball Championships.
 
In the north, Maryland Eastern Shore concluded the regular season with an unblemished 12-0 record in MEAC play this season and head into the tournament with a 26-7 overall record, having won five straight matches. Howard, the preseason favorite in the Northern Division, claimed the division's No. 2 seed after going 9-3 in league play.
 
Hampton and Morgan State both went 7-5 in conference play. However, the Lady Bears won the tiebreaker by virtue of this past weekend's win over Howard, placing them in the No. 3 slot with Hampton closing out the north as the No. 4 seed.
 
In the south, B-CU and Florida A&M (FAMU) both went 9-1 in the Southern Division, with each team losing to the other. Nonetheless, the Wildcats claimed the top seed by virtue of a tiebreaker, which came down to the number of total sets lost in head-to-head competition. FAMU, the preseason favorite in the Southern Division and having won six straight matches, claimed the No. 2 seed.
 
North Carolina A&T State (N.C. A&T) claimed the No. 3 seed with a 6-4 conference record, while North Carolina Central's 4-6 mark in MEAC play earned the Lady Eagles the division's No. 4 seed.
 
Only the top four teams in each division are eligible to compete in the single-match elimination tournament. Based on the standings, Coppin State, Delaware State, Norfolk State, Savannah State and South Carolina State were eliminated.
 
MATCHUP PREVIEWS
 
The quarterfinal's match features No. 2 Howard and No. 3 North Carolina A&T State. Neither squad met in the regular season. However, both clubs earned significant wins in their respective divisions. HU knocked off Bethune-Cookman in four sets back on Oct. 20 while the Aggies defeated Maryland Eastern Shore in five sets on Sept. 22.
 
With a victory, the Bison will face either top-seeded B-CU or No. 4 Hampton. The Saturday match is set for 3 p.m.
 
Howard's four-set win over the Wildcats was in the midst of an eight-match winning streak. Senior Khaila Donaldson (11 kills and 12 digs) and junior Tamia Dockery (46 assists and 17 digs) spearheaded the Bison attack, each posting a double-double. HU swept the season series against Hampton, winning both in straight sets.
 
HU did not meet Florida A&M or NCCU in the regular season, nevertheless, they are very familiar with Eastern Shore and MSU. All three Howard conference losses came against the Hawks (0-2) and Lady Bears (1-1) in five sets.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
With a win on Saturday, Howard would advance to Sunday's championship match where they could meet either top-seeded Maryland Eastern Shore, No. 2 FAMU, No. 3 Morgan State, or No. 4 North Carolina Central (NCCU). First-serve is scheduled for noon with a live broadcast available on ESPNU and ESPN3.
 
A NCAA appearance for the Bison awaits if Howard wins the 2017 MEAC Title. The conference crown will be the third consecutive for HU, 10^th overall. Date, time, and opponent to be determined.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.