WASHINGTON (September 12, 2025) - Howard University volleyball put on a show for an electrifying crowd Friday night in its 3-2 loss to long-time rival North Carolina A&T (NCAT) in Burr Gymnasium.
 
Led by Zenai Jethroe (Dallas, Texas), the Bison forced extra points in the first set. Howard landed four aces in the set. The former Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) rivals were nearly matched in kills with the Aggies holding a slight 13-12 advantage, but Howard took the set, 30-28.
 
The second frame proved to be as evenly matched as the first. Both teams posted a .238 hitting average and balanced the score 11 times through the first 21 points. Back-to-back aces from NCAT gave the Aggies a 23-21 lead, then they continued a five-point run to close the set, 25-21. Kennedi Wright (Plano, Texas) led the Bison attack, posting five kills, while teammate Kaitlynn Robinson (Oklahoma City) added two blocks.
 
Rya McKinnon (Hoover, Ala.) opened the scoring in the third set with a kill. The Aggies responded with a kill of their own. Consecutive plays from McKinnon pushed the Bison ahead, 5-2, but NCAT did not let the Bison get far. A block from Robinson gave the Bison a 16-12 lead—their largest of the set. An uninterrupted seven-point run flipped the tables for the Aggies, who gained a 19-16 advantage. NCAT kept a slight edge until sets from reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week Alexys James (Houston) brought the Bison within one, 23-22. A ball-handling error held NCAT at set point, but they soon took the set, 25-23.
 
The former rivals tied, 2-2, before a 3-0 run from Leah Reeves (Allen, Texas) pushed Howard to a 5-2 upper hand and soon doubled the score, 8-4. NCAT clawed its way back within one before an inconclusive challenge from the Aggies resulted in a redo of the 10^th point. The reset worked in the Aggies' favor, gaining an 11-10 lead. James responded with a powerful kill to even the score, 11-11. Freshman Corinne Howard (Derwood, Md.) entered the game and put up a block on her first play for a 12-11 advantage, but a 4-0 run quickly flipped the script, 20-18. Howard did not let the Aggies get away as they posted three straight points to tie, 21-21. The Aggies stepped away, 22-21, but Jethroe's kill to the back line balanced the board yet again, 22-22. A block from Robinson frazzled the Aggies into a bad set, giving the Bison a 23-22 lead. The tides changed, yet again, as NCAT managed set-point due to an error. McKinnon brought the Bison back with a kill to the back right corner that the Aggies quickly challenged. The point was upheld to force another set of extra points. The Bison sent the crowd ablaze when James and fellow classmate Kristen Dear (Carson, Calif.) tipped the ball over the net for a 25-24 board. McKinnon sent over a kill too strong for the intended Aggie, resulting in a 26-25 advantage. Wright and Dear scored the final kills needed to push the match to a fifth set, 28-26.
 
NCAT jumped out to a 3-0 lead that soon became a 7-3 advantage before doubling HU's score, 10-5. Howard called a timeout to formulate a new game plan in the shortened set. Howard came back with renewed energy, sending over a kill followed by an ace, 10-7, but a 5-3 run with consecutive kills gave the Aggies a 15-10 win to take the match, 3-2.
 
Three Bison posted double-digit kills while Reeves, MEAC Setter of the Week, posted 43 assists while Camryn Shelton (Charlotte, N.C.) led the defense with 18 digs. James highlighted the match with four aces while notching a team-high three blocks along with fellow newcomer Dear.
 
The Bison return to Burr Gym Sunday, Sept. 14, when they host the American Eagles at 1 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.