WASHINGTON — Howard volleyball sent its senior group out in style, defeating South Carolina State, 3–1 (21–25, 25–18, 25–9, 25–13), on Senior Day inside Burr Gymnasium. With the win, the Bison improved to 15–9 overall and 9–4 in conference play, while the Bulldogs dropped to 5–21 (1–12 MEAC).

After the win, the program honored seniors Rya McKinnon (Hoover, Ala.), Leah Reeves (Allen, Texas), Maddie Siegel (Fishers, Ind.), Aziah Buckner (Memphis, Tenn.), and Claire Simpson (Plainfield, Ill.) for their leadership and contributions to Howard Volleyball.

Howard and South Carolina State traded points early before the Bulldogs used a 5–1 spurt to move ahead 15–10. The Bison fought back behind kills from Kristen Dear (Carson, Calif.) and Alexys James (Houston, Texas), cutting the deficit to 18–17. Despite the late surge, the Bulldogs capitalized on a pair of Howard miscues to close the frame, 25–21, taking a 1–0 lead in the match. The set win marked the Bulldogs' first set win over Howard since 2019.

Howard responded with renewed energy in the second, racing out to a 9–5 advantage after a sequence of kills from Dear and Zenai Jethroe (Dallas, Texas). Reeves fueled the offense with precision setting, tallying assists on four more Bison points as Howard's lead extended to 16–12. South Carolina State attempted to rally, but timely blocks from Kaitlynn Robinson (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and McKinnon stifled the run. The Bison evened the match with a 25–18 win, capped by a kill from Jethroe.

The Bison dominated the third frame from the opening serve, jumping out to an 15–3 lead behind an 13-point service run from Reeves that included an ace and five straight kills set up by the senior. Jethroe was unstoppable in the frame, recording six kills on six swings, while McKinnon and James each added two. Howard's defense held South Carolina State to a negative hitting percentage (-.094) in the set, cruising to a 25–9 victory and a 2–1 match lead.

Howard carried their momentum into the fourth, using another early burst to seize control at 8–2. Reeves continued to orchestrate the offense, finding Dear, Jethroe, and James in rhythm as the Bison extended the gap to double digits, 16-6. Howard hit an impressive .395 in the final frame, closing the match on a 9-6 run to secure the 25–13 clincher and their 15th straight win over South Carolina State — a streak dating back to 2013.

Dear led all players with 14 kills (.464), followed closely by Jethroe and James with 13 apiece. Jethroe hit .722, the top efficiency mark of the match. Reeves directed the attack with a season-high 55 assists and added three service aces. Simpson anchored the back row with a career-high 35 digs, pacing a defense that held the Bulldogs to a .084 hitting percentage.

Howard dominated statistically, posting a .293 hitting percentage compared to South Carolina State's .084. The Bison led in kills (62–31), assists (58–28), blocks (8–6), and digs (76–48).

The Bison hit the road for their final non-conference matchup of the regular season on Wednesday, November 12 at 6 p.m., traveling to the City of Brotherly Love to face Temple University.

For more information on Howard volleyball, visit the official Howard Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.