NORFOLK, Va., Sept. 25, 2023 – Coppin State sophomore outside hitter TaKenya Stafford was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Week, presented by Coca-Cola, the conference announced. Norfolk State’s Gabrielle Gilbert was named Rookie of the Week, while Howard University senior Kayla Diaz was named Setter of the Week, and Coppin State redshirt senior libero Ashley Roman and Maryland Eastern Shore sophomore libero Valeria Matias earned Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
Stafford (So., OH, Los Angeles, Calif.) averaged 4.33 kills, 2.67 digs, and 0.67 blocks per set as the Eagles opened MEAC play with a pair of wins this past weekend, hitting a combined .287. She opened with 18 kills and a career-high 16 digs in a four-set win over Delaware State, hitting .333, before turning in a 21-kill, 8-dig, 6-block performance against Maryland Eastern Shore. She set career highs in kills and blocks in that match.
 
Gilbert (Fr., OH, Indianapolis, Ind.) hit a combined .323 to open MEAC play this past weekend, averaging 3.71 kills, 2.00 digs, and 1.14 aces per set. She opened with a double-double against North Carolina Central, going for 11 kills and 10 digs on .300 hitting and three aces on Friday. Then, she hit .344 with 15 kills and five aces on Sunday against South Carolina State.
 
Diaz (Sr., S, Rockland, N.Y.) averaged 11.00 assists per set in five sets of action this past week, including 45 assists to go along with five service aces in a non-conference win over American. In one set played against South Carolina State, she added 10 assists for a Bison offense that hit .276 for the match.
 
Roman (r-Sr., L, Isabela, Puerto Rico) averaged 4.89 digs per set for the Eagles this past weekend, including a weekend-high 23 against Delaware State. She wrapped up the first weekend of conference play with 21 digs against Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
Matias (So., L, Ponce, Puerto Rico) averaged 4.70 digs per set in two matches for the Hawks. She opened with a season-high 26 digs against Morgan State, before turning in 21 on Sunday against Coppin State.
 
Other Top Performers
Coco Figueroa (Coppin State) recorded five digs against Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
Andrea Tsvetanova (Coppin State) racked up 43 assists against Maryland Eastern Shore and 33 against Delaware State.
 
Valeria Otero (Delaware State) racked up 11 kills and 13 digs against Coppin State.
 
Naz Tuncay (Delaware State) recorded a double-double (16 assists, 10 digs) against Coppin State, before racking up 21 assists against Morgan State.
 
Jennifer Bolden (Howard) recorded 15 kills and hit .650 against American.
 
Rya McKinnon (Howard) dropped 21 kills against American.
 
Kaitlynn Robinson (Howard) racked up six blocks to go along with seven kills against North Carolina Central.
 
Anisa Dorlouis (Maryland Eastern Shore) recorded a triple-double (10 kills, 11 digs, 20 assists) against Morgan State.
 
Sydney McCree (Norfolk State) had 33 assists, five kills, five digs, and four aces against South Carolina State.
 
Fabiana Mucciola (Norfolk State) recorded 15 digs against South Carolina State and 10 against North Carolina Central.
 
Shonte Seale (Norfolk State) recorded double-doubles in wins over North Carolina Central (13 kills, 11 digs) and South Carolina State (10 kills, 14 digs).
 
Kaia Barnett (South Carolina State) recorded a double-double (30 assists, 15 digs) against Norfolk State.
 
Kiya Felder (South Carolina State) notched 15 kills on .464 hitting against Norfolk State.
 
Trinity Stevenson (South Carolina State) had 13 digs against Norfolk State.