FORT COLLINS, CO., Nov. 26, 2023 – The women’s volleyball season for the Bison of Howard University has been extended with an invitation to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The Bison will play the Red Storm from St. John’s University (NY) at 7 PM on Friday, Dec. 1, in Queens, NY. 

Howard finished the 2023 regular season as the number two seed heading into the Mid-eastern Athletic Conference volleyball tournament. After defeating the Bears from Morgan State in the quarterfinals and the hosting Hornets from Delaware State, the Bison fell to the Eagles from Coppin State who received the MEAC’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament.  

Howard’s rosters holds several top players in the MEAC including back-to-back Player of the Year in Rya McKinnon, a sophomore from Hoover, Alabama. She is joined by All-MEAC honorees Cimone Woodard (Jr., MB, Missouri City, TX), Kayla Diaz (5th, S, Rockland, NY), and Claire Simpson (So., LB, Plainfield, IL). Additionally, teammate Jennifer Bolden (Sr., OH, Los Angeles, CA) received All-Tournament laurels at the conclusion of the 2023 MEAC Volleyball Championship.  

The opponents to Howard, the Red Storm of St. John’s University (NY), enter their second consecutive NIVC Tournament after falling to Creighton in 2023 Big East Championship match. SJU holds a 23-10 overall record and is 11-3 at home. The Red Storm will serve as the host site for the first round and the winner of the Howard/St. John’s matchup will face off against the winner of the South Florida/Buffalo contest.  

Saint John’s holds a 2-0 lead in the series history. The teams first met in 2008 with SJU winning in three sets. The last, and most recent, encounter was in 2019 at the Carnesecca Area in Queens, NY, where the Red Storm again won in three sets. 

NIVC Bracket | Selection Announcement