Nothing is quite as sweet as that first taste of victory. Senior setter Tamia Dockery can attest to that after winning a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Championship during each of her first three seasons at Howard University.
To this day, her greatest memory at Howard remains her victory over Bethune-Cookman on November 11, 2015. Not only was this her first championship at the collegiate level, this was also Dockery's first experience winning a volleyball championship at any point in her life. The milestone reminded Dockery of her treacherous journey to make it onto the court. Prior to her freshman year, Dockery suffered a torn ACL and had just six months to prepare for the season. She rehabbed her knee and went on to play in every match that year.
After securing her first MEAC Championship freshman year, all Dockery has done since is win. The Bison followed up their impressive 2015 success with another conference win the following year. In 2017, they pulled off a "three-peat", cementing their current legacy as a volleyball powerhouse.
Dominance in athletics is nothing new in the Dockery household. Dockery's older sister and self-proclaimed idol, Tiana, also plays volleyball. Tiana played at the University of Kansas from 2012-15, before taking her talents overseas. Both of Dockery's parents played college sports at Eastern New Mexico University. Her mother played basketball and her father played football. Her mom is a member of the university's hall of fame, while her dad experienced a career in the Arena Football League. She has cousins who have played in the NFL. With her family's athletic history, it comes as no surprise that she chose to play college volleyball.
Although she had her sport figured out early, choosing a college was not as clear. Upon her mother's advice, she visited Howard. Despite not knowing much about the school she immediately felt at home once she arrived and then began to consider "The Mecca".
Prior to her enrollment, Howard had not won a volleyball championship since 1994. Now the Bison are the reigning MEAC champions. As a top-ranked setter in the conference, Dockery has contributed tremendously to the volleyball program's success. This season Dockery has a chance to lead Howard to its fourth straight championship. She is in her second year as a captain and in the midst of another solid season, recently earning MEAC Co-Setter of the Week honors. Averaging over 9.0 assists per set for the third consecutive year and adding 73 digs through 10 games thus far, Dockery is experienced and consistent on the court.
In her fourth year on the team there is a broader focus on those around her. She is intentional in her plans to build up her younger teammates. 12 of the 17 players on the roster are freshmen and sophomores. Dockery works to develop the next wave of Bison volleyball players that will continue their championship legacy.
As a senior, Dockery remains well aware of the fact that her days at Howard are coming to a close. Even though her undergraduate days are just months away from ending, her volleyball career remains far from over. She plans on attending graduate school and hopes to play beach volleyball to pay for her education. She also wants to follow her sister's footsteps in playing the sport overseas.
You can watch Tamia Dockery and the rest of the Howard Women's volleyball team at Burr Gymnasium on Friday, September 14, as they face off against Penn State, the fifth ranked team in the nation.
About Howard University Athletics
The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to learn more.
