DOVER, Del. (November 19, 2022) – No. 2 Howard University women's volleyball team saw its run for another Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title come to an end after falling to No. 3 Delaware State (DSU) in four sets (18-25, 15-25, 25-23, 12-25) at Memorial Hall.
 
With the setback, HU suffered its first MEAC Tournament loss since 2014.
 
MEAC Player and Rookie of the Year Rya McKinnon (Bessemer, Ala.) paved the way with a double-double (22 kills & 14 digs) while producing a .300 hitting percentage.
 
DSU (23-6) controlled the tempo during the first two sets, eclipsing a .435 hitting percentage, while taking a commanding 2-0 match lead.
 
Down, but not out, the Bison refused to go away without a fight.
 
HU held a 9-5 advantage early in game three, but the Hornets clawed their way back into the set and took a 20-19 lead, thanks to a kill from Karen Cordero. Both squads went back-and-forth late in game three and were deadlocked at 23, but a kill from McKinnon and service ace by senior libero Essence Bell (Ocala, Fla.) gave HU the set, 25-23.
 
In game four, DSU regained the momentum with a .483 hitting percentage in the set to take down the Bison, 25-12, and advanced to the MEAC title match for the second straight year.
 
MEAC Setter of the Year Kayla Diaz (Nanuet, N.Y.) racked up 40 assists while newcomer Claire Simpson (Plainfield, Ill.) registered 15 digs in a losing effort.
 
For DSU, they face top-seeded Coppin State Sunday (Nov. 21) on ESPNU in search for its first MEAC Championship since 1986. Alondra Maldonado had a team-leading 19 kills in the victory.
 
Despite the loss, head coach Shaun Kupferberg and the Bison secured a share of the MEAC regular season title and first 20-win season since 2019 (20-10).
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.