WASHINGTON (August 26, 2026) - The Howard University volleyball team enters the season with one of its least experienced teams in recent history. The team, which finished runner-up in last year's MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Tournament, returns only three starters and 11 players who received playing time. Yet, it is not a big challenge for Howard head coach Shaun Kupferberg.
 
In his 15^th season at the helm, Kupferberg took a program that was in disarray when he orchestrated one of the most dramatic turnarounds in school history, struggling through a 1-23 record his first season and posted a 21-11 mark the following year.
 
For those not familiar with what he has done, here are some facts to review:

• 10 MEAC Final appearances
• Seven postseason appearances
• Seven 20+ wins seasons
• Six MEAC Titles, including five straight championships
• Six NCAA Tournament appearances
• Produced several MEAC Players of the Year
• Won several national team academic awards

 
And the list goes on and on.
 
"We have lots of new faces and expect them all to compete to be on the court," said Kupferberg, the second winningest coach in school history with 251 wins. "Our team is very deep this year and the newcomers are definitely pushing the limits in practice. We do not have our lineup set, but you can expect to see a lot of new faces throughout the year. It is hard to single out anyone with the whole group ready to compete."
 
In the past two years, HU has reached the MEAC Championship match, but came up short against rival Coppin State.
 
"We have seen what did not work and now we need to find a new path for success," said Kupferberg as he reflected on what adjustments have to be made in order to return back to the mountain top. "We had a great spring of growth and development, so we think that will pay off when we are pressured."
 
And what does he see as the formula for continuing the success that the program has experienced the past 14 years.
 
"We have a team that works hard and has fun," Kupferberg proclaimed. "They really enjoy each other and I look forward to seeing their relationships build throughout the year."
 
With so much lack of experience, leadership has to a key and Kupferberg is looking to senior middle blockers Zenai Jethroe (Dallas) and Kaitlynn Robinson (Oklahoma City), senior libero Gabby Allen (Laurel, Md.) and sophomore setter Alexys James (Houston).
 
"Alexys and Zenai played a lot last year," noted Kupferberg. "With so many new people on the court, everyone will look to them to settle things down when it gets a little chaotic. But Gabby is our captain and she has done a great job keeping the team focused and on track as well. We have spoken a lot about how each person has the ability to lead in their own way and can contribute to our success."
 
Robinson and James were named to the Preseason All-MEAC Team, along with Jethroe.
 
A transfer from Texas State, Jethroe made her mark last season, being named to the All-MEAC First Team. She led the conference in hitting percentage and blocks per set.
 
"I learned a lot watching last season's team and how the veterans exhibited leadership," said Jethroe, a member of the MEAC All-Academic Team and a health sciences major. "The key to this season is displaying consistency and trust and I like what I see so far. The new players are understanding what it takes to be successful on the court."
 
Everyone agrees that Allen is the captain of the ship. She has had an outstanding career at Howard and has been a model on and off the court. She has been named team captain for this young team.
 
"The key is finding out what each player needs to bring to the table.," Allen explained on the formula for success. "It is all about meshing together and being on the same page. It is certainly a challenge, but from what I have seen so far, I am encouraged that we are going to have a successful season."
 
It has been a policy of Howard to schedule some of the top volleyball programs in the country in order to expose the student-athletes to high level volleyball as they prepare for the challenges of conference play. To that end, Kupferberg made some strategic adjustments this season.
 
"We knew we were going to have a very young team this year, but we wanted to challenge them early and see how we performed when in tough situations," Kupferberg stated. "We have a good mix of tough larger schools and mid-majors that will challenge us to play our best each match."
 
The challenging season kicks off for the Bison when they host Maryland Friday (Aug. 28) at 6 p.m., inside Burr Gymnasium. There will be a special ceremony for former Bison standout Tamia Dockery as she will have her jersey retired. Howard will follow with a home contest against George Mason Sunday (Aug. 30) at 2 p.m., at The Burr. The team will also play at ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) member Syracuse and SEC (Southeastern Conference) opponent Arkansas in a tournament at Towson, Md., before opening MEAC play against defending MEAC champion Coppin State (Sept. 24).
 
The MEAC Tournament is scheduled for November 19-21 in Baltimore, hosted by Coppin State.
 
We would be remiss if we did not note the academic prowess of the program under Kupferberg. Eight members of the team were named to the MEAC All-Academic team, including Allen, a two-time member.
 
"Our student-athletes want to excel both on and off the court," explained Kupferberg. "That is a natural extension of their competitiveness and we have had the great honor of having these young successful women as part of our program."
 
The MEAC has become more competitive in the past few years. The Bison, once the hunted, are now the hunter as they get everybody's best shot. The Bison have been picked to finish second behind Coppin State in the preseason rankings, snapping its streak of being projected to win the league for four straight seasons.
 
"We have high expectations, that is the price you pay with continued success," Kupferberg concluded. "The league has grown and become very competitive in recent years. This year, you will see a lot of new faces in our program and they will need to step up to meet our standards."
 
The MEAC is going to unveil the MEAC Network, which will stream 10 of Howard's home matches this season, including Friday's showdown with Maryland.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.