NORFOLK, Va. – The Howard Bison and the Florida A&M Lady Rattlers earned the top seeds in the northern and southern divisions of the 2016 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Championship Tournament.

Howard captured the top seed in the North after posting a perfect 12-0 mark in conference play. The Bison, who rank first nationally in opponent hitting percentage, enter tournament play on a 13-match win streak and have not dropped a match since Sept. 17 (Rhode Island).

Maryland Eastern Shore (10-2), which is tops nationally in aces per set and team aces, advances to the tournament for the second consecutive season and is the second seed from the Northern Division. Morgan State (7-5) reaches the tournament for the third straight season as the No. 3 seed, while Norfolk State (5-7) won the head-to-head tiebreaker over Hampton to claim the fourth and final seed in the North.

Florida A&M (10-0) won the regular-season Southern Divisional crown and earned the top spot. The Lady Rattlers are currently riding a 12-match winning streak and have not lost since Sept. 20 (North Florida).

Bethune-Cookman (7-3) is the second seed in the Southern Division and won the potential tiebreaker over North Carolina A&T State. The Lady Wildcats secured the second spot based on fewest games lost in all conference matches. North Carolina A&T State (6-3) locked up the third seed, while North Carolina Central 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 conference championship title. Seedings are determined by overall conference records. Coppin State (2-10), Delaware State (1-11), Hampton (5-7), Savannah State (2-8) and South Carolina State (0-10) have been eliminated from tournament play based on their MEAC record.

The 2016 MEAC Volleyball Championship tournament begins on Friday, November 18 at 10 a.m., at UMES Hytche Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, Md. Admission for the championship tournament is $8 each day and $20 for three-day passes.

For up-to-date schedule information, visit Championship Central at www.MEACsports.com

The volleyball championship tournament will conclude on Sunday, November 20 beginning at noon. The championship finale will be broadcast live on ESPNU/ESPN3.