DOVER, Del. July 25, 2022 – Delaware State head women's volleyball coach Bruce Atkinson and Hornets' middle blocker Alondra Maldonado are among nearly 80 recipients of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Makeda Excellence Award, a first-time honor presented by the Rice FAME Group, a nationally- recognized  athletics, media, entertainment and fashion organization.
 

The awards honor athletes, coaches, bands, and band directors from Historically Black Colleges and Universities programs. Each honoree was selected by a majority of voting peer coaches and band directors from National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA), and United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA)programs.

Atkinson is the Makeda national award winner for Women's Volleyball Coach for the 2021-22 academic year. The reigning Mid-Eastern Coach of the Year, he led the Hornets to a record-setting season in 2021, highlighted by a share of the MEAC regular season title for the first time since 1987 and a team record 26 wins (26-5). Delaware State also competed in the MEAC championship match for the first time since 2010 and was selected to the field of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship for the first time in team history. In addition, the Hornets were a perfect 13-0 at home and 11-1 vs. non-conference teams during the '21 regular season, while also establishing new team highs for MEAC wins (12), longest win streak (16) and shutout wins (20).

Maldonado is the Makeda national award honoree for Women's Volleyball Athlete. A 2021 All-MEAC First Team and MEAC  All-Tournament selection, she helped lead the Hornets a share of the conference regular season title for the first time since 1987 and first championship match appearance since 2010. She was a three-time MEAC Player of the Week, second in the league in kills at 3.15 per set, seventh in hitting percentage (.298) , and ninth in blocks (0.76 per set).

Maldonado was also named MEAC Player of the Week after earning Most Valuable Player honors at the Siena Crown Plaza –Desmond Invitational, hitting .333 for the weekend,  recording double-digit kills in four-of-five matches. She had10 or more kills in 15 contests during the 2021 season.