WASHINGTON (November 11, 2022) - Following its fourth consecutive victory, a hard-fought 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 25-15) dismissal of Norfolk State (NSU) Friday night in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) match inside of Burr Gymnasium, the Howard volleyball team is right on schedule.
While the Bison will gladly acknowledge its share of the MEAC regular season title, everybody understands there is more work to done. There is not much time for celebration, especially knowing next week's MEAC Tournament at Delaware State as a No. 2 seed behind top-seeded Coppin State.
"Winning the MEAC is always a goal and the regular season title is a great starting point," Howard head coach
Shaun Kupferberg said. "It obviously is a nice pat on the back, but the real work is ahead of us. It's a constant challenge because our league has gotten a lot better, but the expectation within our program is still to win. That means getting better every year just to keep the tradition alive."
The Bison are entering the MEAC Tournament with plenty of momentum, which helps. Competing with single-elimination urgency, Howard is peaking and playing its best volleyball.
After all, it is November and it is expected at The Mecca.
In the win over Norfolk State, Howard was led by freshman outside hitter
Rya McKinnon (Bessemer, Ala.) with 22 kills. She had 23 kills two nights earlier in a 3-1 win over the Spartans. Overall, this was McKinnon's 15
th match this season with double-digit kills.
McKinnon, who ended the regular season with six straight matches of double-digit kills, finished plenty of dynamite passes from senior setter
Kayla Diaz (Nanuet, N.Y.), who wrapped up the night with 37 assists. Senior libero
Essence Bell (Ocala, Fla.) led Howard with 10 digs while McKinnon was also a menace on defense with nine digs.
"The key to our success this year has been the diversity of our offense, which is led by Kayla," Kupferberg said. "She has done a great job keeping everyone involved and is nationally top 40 in assists per set. That has allowed the top 10 hitters in conference to be filled with our hitters."
McKinnon, senior
Tamar Wells (Apopka, Fla.), junior
Jennifer Bolden (Los Angeles) and sophomores
Cimone Woodard (Missouri City, Texas) and
Maya Gerlach (Philadelphia) are all ranked in the MEAC.
"Currently, Rya has the top hitting percentage in the country for her position. Defensively, we are working on being a little better as a team, but individually Essence and
Claire Simpson have done a great job keeping balls up and making life difficult for opponents."
Howard recovered from a slow start, which saw Norfolk State score the first four points of the match. The Bison also trailed in the first set, 20-17, and 25-24, before showcasing its resiliency to close out the set.
In the second set, Howard broke free from a 16-16 tie by scoring four straight points, highlighted by consecutive kills from McKinnon. By the time the third set rolled around, Howard had found its groove, blasting to a 13-4 advantage, and never looking back.
Before the match, Howard recognized four Bison for their hard work and dedication to the women's volleyball program: Bell; Wells;
Alex Smith (New Orleans) and
Ana Williams (Baker, La.).
Now, the focus shifts to next weekend where Howard will look to claim its seventh MEAC Championship in eight seasons. The Bison have the tools for success, but most importantly, it has the run-for-the-title form. The experienced Bison knows what it takes to win three matches in three days against strong competition.
"The serve and receive game are always important, but additionally, the key for us always starts with defense," Kupferberg said. "If we can be strong defensively our offense will take care of itself."
On Nov. 18-20, Howard travels to Dover, Del., for the MEAC Tournament, hosted by Delaware State University.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
