NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 26, 2022—Coppin State sophomore outside hitter Hope Casel was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Player of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola, the conference office announced today. Norfolk State’s Sydney McCree was named Rookie of the Week and Coppin State senior Andrea Tsvetanova was named Setter of the Week, while Coppin State senior Ashley Roman earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
Casel (5-10, So., OH/RS, Tyler, Texas) averaged 3.1 kills and 0.6 digs per set for the Eagles in a 2-1 week, including a 2-0 start in MEAC play, hitting .316 across 12 sets played. She hit .300 in all three matches, starting with a 13-kill, 5-block effort against UMBC. She then had 10 kills and two blocks in a sweep of South Carolina State, before hitting a season-best .333 with 14 kills and a block in a five-set win over North Carolina Central.
 
McCree (5-10, Fr., S, Durham, N.C.) led the Spartans to a 2-0 start in MEAC play, their best start to conference play since 2013. In eight sets played, McCree averaged 7.9 assists, 1.7 digs and 1.1 aces per set. Against Maryland Eastern Shore, she recorded 30 assists, seven kills, six digs, five aces and three blocks – and in a sweep of 2021 regular-season co-champion Delaware State, she racked up 33 assists, eight digs and four aces.
 
Tsvetanova (5-9, Sr., S, Sofia, Bulgaria) averaged 9.7 assists and 1.8 digs per set in 11 sets played this past week. She opened the week with 32 assists, eight digs and two blocks against UMBC, before opening MEAC play with 25 assists and three aces in a sweep of South Carolina State. In Sunday’s five-set win over North Carolina Central, the nation’s leader in total aces and assists had 50 helpers, seven digs, a career-high five kills and three aces.
 
Roman (5-5, Sr., L, Isabela, Puerto Rico) broke the Coppin State program record in career digs against North Carolina Central and sits third all-time in the MEAC with 1,673 career digs. She averaged 4.6 digs per set in three matches this past week, including 21 against the Eagles and 19 in a midweek match against UMBC.
 
Other Top Performers
Sydney Lewis (Delaware State) had three blocks each against Howard and Norfolk State.
 
Valeria Otero (Delaware State) had 12 kills, eight digs and two blocks in a four-set win over Howard.
 
Daisy Ramos (Delaware State) had five kills and two digs against Norfolk State.
 
Kayla Diaz (Howard) racked up a career-high 54 assists against Delaware State, to go along with eight digs and three blocks.
 
Rya McKinnon (Howard) recorded her second career double-double against Delaware State, racking up 17 kills and 13 digs.
 
Tamar Wells (Howard) had six blocks against Maryland Eastern Shore and four against Delaware State.
 
Sophia Chacon (Maryland Eastern Shore) had 26 assists and nine digs against Norfolk State, before adding 28 assists and eight digs against Howard.
 
Charlize Williams (Maryland Eastern Shore) racked up 12 blocks (four solo) against Norfolk State.
 
Trinity Carruthers (Morgan State) had 19 assists and eight digs against North Carolina Central.
 
Justyus Jackson (Morgan State) recorded six blocks against North Carolina Central and three against South Carolina State.
 
Jourdan Page (Morgan State) had 14 kills and five digs against North Carolina Central.
 
Nicole Rodriguez (Norfolk State) recorded 17 digs against Maryland Eastern Shore and 10 against Delaware State.
 
Shonte Seale (Norfolk State) had eight kills and six blocks against Maryland Eastern Shore, before racking up 13 kills on .458 hitting against Delaware State.

Tori Wilson (North Carolina Central) racked up 20 kills against Coppin State after turning in a 13-kill, 4-ace, 3-block effort against Morgan State.