NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University Lady Pirates and the Florida A&M University Lady Rattlers earned the top seeds in the northern and southern divisions of the 2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Championship Tournament.
The Lady Pirates, who are the defending tournament champions, shared the top spot in the North with Howard after posting an 11-1 mark in conference play. Hampton won the tiebreaker over Howard (11-1) to claim the top seed. The Lady Pirates enter the tournament having won its last three matches.
Howard, advancing to the tournament for the second consecutive season, is the second seed, while Coppin State (7-5) earns the third seed as the Lady Eagles won three out of their final four conference matches. Morgan State (6-6) earned the fourth and final spot by winning two of its final three conference matches.
Florida A&M captured its eighth straight southern divisional crown with a 9-1 mark in conference play. The Lady Rattlers boast nine of the last 12 MEAC volleyball regular season titles and 14th overall.
Bethune-Cookman (8-2) ended Florida A&M’s 38-conference match winning streak to conclude the regular season and is the second seed in the southern division. North Carolina A&T State (6-4) finished as the third seed, and North Carolina Central (4-6) earned the fourth seed.
Only the top four teams in each division are eligible to compete in the single-match elimination tournament and vie for the championship title. Seedings are determined by overall conference records. Maryland Eastern Shore (4-8), Norfolk State (2-10), Delaware State (1-11), South Carolina State (3-7) and Savannah State (0-10) have been eliminated from tournament play based on their MEAC record.
The 2014 MEAC Volleyball Championship tournament begins on Friday, November 21 at 10 a.m., at the Physical Education Complex on the campus of Coppin State University in Baltimore, Md. Admission for the championship tournament is $7 each day and $15 for three-day passes. General Parking with $5 in Lot H.
For up-to-date schedule information, visit www.MEACsports.com
The volleyball championship tournament will conclude on Sunday, November 23 beginning at noon. The championship finale will be broadcast live on ESPN3 and tape-delayed on ESPNU at 9 p.m.