After knocking on the door with four consecutive MEAC northern divisional volleyball championships, Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) triumphed in 2011 by winning its first conference title.
The Lady Hawks enter the 2012 season as the favorite to win it all again. They are intent on keeping the remainder of field at bay after knocking off long-time nemesis Florida A&M in the championship match of the 2011 MEAC Volleyball championship tournament.
"It was really nice to win the title and to win against Florida A&M,'' says UMES coach Don Metil, whose teams lost three times to Florida A&M in the conference tournament final before finally knocking off the Lady Rattlers. "We take a lot of pride in it.''
Metil has had murals created for the Lady Hawks' locker room to commemorate the 2011 championship and to remind them of the difficulty they encountered winning the title. That's his way of keeping his team focused now that the Lady Hawks are conference champs and the hunted, not the hunters.
"That set the tone for this preseason,'' he says. "We're taking each day and preparing how we always prepare. That doesn't change from whether we're the lowest team on the totem pole or the preseason favorite. Our attitude is there is no such thing as the defending champion. This is a whole new season.''
Hampton is tabbed to finish second in the northern division with Morgan State third. Followed by Delaware State, Howard and Coppin State. Florida A&M is the favorite in the southern division. South Carolina State, the 2010 champion, and Bethune-Cookman are predicted to come in second and third, respectively. North Carolina Central, North Carolina A&T and Savannah are predicted to finish in that order.
The Lady Hawks return five starters, led by outside hitter Saitaua Iosia, the 2011 MEAC Rookie of the Year, MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Performer and the 2012 preseason MEAC Player of the Year. Iosia had led the MEAC with 472 kills while averaging more than four kills a game. She also led the conference with 4.77 points per set, and she finished in the top 50 in Division I in points, aces and kills per set. Iosia added 49 service aces, 268 digs and 54 total blocks.
"She was our go-to-hitter in times of crisis,'' Metil says. ''She was the driving force behind our team. Sa (Iosia) knows when she's up, she brings other up with her.''
Metil says Iosia has been impressive in preseason practice, and he expects her to have another stellar season. Iosia says she welcomes the challenge of being tabbed as the top player in the conference and her team's leader, and that her ultimate goal is for the Lady Hawks to repeat as champions.
"Coming into the season, the standards are high for me,'' she says."I know people are looking at me. I have to work just as hard as I did last year. There is a lot of pressure. The key (to a successful season) is just being focused and communication with my teammates. I'm not the only one under pressure. We're all excited. We want to win again. We're fighting (for the championship) each practice.''
Metil says the Lady Hawks are playing their best volleyball since he took over in 2007 and that their success this season hinges on how well they adapt to whatever system the team uses. He is considering using a 5-1 or 6-2.
"When we finally decide what system is best, the girls have to buy into it and be comfortable,'' he says.
Another key is finding someone to help Iosia carry the offensive load. Setter Jessie Vicic, a preseason All-MEAC selection, led the conference in assists as a freshman with 1,209 and will play a significant role in the offense. Newcomer Birdgit Ebster-Schwarzenberger is also expected to help boost the Lady Hawks' offense. Libero Megan Mueller and setter Elisabeth Steiner, also newcomers, are expected to be key contributors as well.
Hampton is program on the rise and could challenge UMES in the northern division. The Lady Pirates had their first winning record (7-5) in conference play since 2001, won a conference tournament match for the first time in school history and had the most victories in a season (13) since 2007.
Sophomore outside hitters Krista Kraskura and Sonja Maksimovic, junior middle blocker Petra Parros, senior middle blocker Mariah Baylor and junior libero Sheileen Pagan return to form an experienced nucleus for Coach Pedro Gonzalez.
Morgan State was a surprise a year ago, finishing second in the north with an 8-4 record. It was the most conference victories since the 2006 when the squad finished 9-1. The Lady Bears return 10 letter winners and five starters from last year's team, including junior setter Natalie Chafeh, who was seventh in the conference in 2011 with 7.5 assists, and sophomore middle hitter Janelle Wilson, who was No. 6 in hitting percentage (.227).
Norfolk State, led by preseason All-MEAC middle blocker Charlotte Armstead, continues to make strides as does Delaware State, which has outside hitter Jessica Croucher, middle blocker Laisha Davis and setter Bel Fakaosi as its anchors. Howard and Coppin State hope to be competitive after making late coaching changes.
Ashley Preston, a three-time All-MEAC volleyball student-athlete at Morgan State, faces an uphill battle at Coppin State after coming aboard in July as the head coach. The Lady Eagles return just two starters, libero Gabrielle Otero and outside hitter Ariel Richard from a team that was 1-11 in MEAC play a year ago. Preston comes to Coppin State from Spelman College, where she set school record for victories with a 9-16-1 mark in 2011 in her only season as a head coach.
Shaun Kupferberg was head coach at Jacksonville (Fla.) University from 2006-11 before joining Howard in July. He had four consecutive winning seasons from 2006-09 with the Dolphins. He was also previously head coach at Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash., for five seasons. Kupferberg must rebuild a program that was 6-24 last season and hasn't had a winning season this millennium.
Florida A&M is counting on five starters and six letter winners to lead the Lady Rattlers to the top of the conference standings. Senior libero and defensive specialist Karol Marquez, a preseason All-MEAC selection is the Lady Rattlers' anchor. Seniors Maria Ceccarrlli and Katherine Huanec are experienced outside hitters. Sophomore Andrea Soriana provides depth. Senior middle blocker Pamela Barrera led the MEAC with a .319 hitting percentage.
Preseason All-MEAC selection and 2011 MEAC Player of the Year Desire Waller will lead South Carolina State as the Lady Bulldogs try to reclaim the championship after bowing out of the conference tournament in the quarterfinals.
Bethune-Cookman is an up-and-coming program. The Lady Wildcats' 13-19 record was six-game improvement over their 2010 finish. A win against conference champ UMES was among their victories. Senior preseason All-MEAC Krystal Gardner outside hitter needs 170 kills to set the school career record and 40 service aces to surpass the all-time mark in that category. Clear had a school record 479 kills in 2011. Libero Jennifer Jiminez is 241 digs shy of the school career record after recording 395 last season. Libero Monica Lowe and outside Destiny Hudson are newcomers expected to be key contributors.
North Carolina Central could be a sleeper in the southern division after playing well against UMES in the conference tournament. The Lady Eagles extended the eventual champions to five sets before losing. The Lady Eagles have a good mix of experience and youth with six letter winners, including three starters, returning.
Second-year North Carolina A&T head coach Hal Clifton hopes to build on the foundation that was laid in 2011 as the Lady Aggies adjusted to his system.
Savannah State encountered rough sailing in its maiden voyage in the MEAC, going winless in nine conference matches and 0-27 overall. Second-year coach Schannon Gamble is eying a turnaround season with nine letter winners returning. Newcomers Justice Dilworth and Bianca Brochu, both outside hitters will be counted on heavily.