Volleyball | 8/27/2026 5:09:10 PM

NORFOLK, Va. – The 2026 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) volleyball season gets underway Friday, Aug. 28, with all eight MEAC teams set to open their seasons as part of tournament action.

Four MEAC programs (Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State) will compete at the Betty K. Austin Invitational, hosted by Alabama A&M. The eight-team field features four MEAC programs and four Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) teams.

The remaining four MEAC programs will also open their seasons Friday as part of tournament action. Norfolk State will face USC Upstate at 5 p.m., Howard will take on Maryland at 6 p.m., Coppin State will meet William & Mary (1 p.m.) and Kent State (4:30 p.m.), and Morgan State will face Cleveland State at 2:30 p.m.  
Week 1 Schedule
Friday, August 28
Delaware State vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 9:00 A.M.
North Carolina Central vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 11:00 A.M.
Maryland Eastern Shore vs. Alabama A&M | 12:00 P.M.
Coppin State vs. William & Mary | 1:00 P.M.
South Carolina State vs. Mississippi Valley State | 2:00 P.M.
Morgan State vs. Cleveland State | 2:30 P.M.
North Carolina Central vs. Alabama A&M | 3:00 P.M.
Coppin State vs. Kent State | 4:30 P.M.
Delaware State vs. Florida A&M | 5:00 P.M.
USC Upstate vs. Norfolk State | 5:00 P.M.
Maryland vs. Howard | 6:00 P.M.
South Carolina State vs. Alabama A&M | 6:00 P.M.
Maryland Eastern Shore vs. Mississippi Valley State | 6:00 P.M.
 
Saturday, August 29
Delaware State vs. Mississippi Valley State | 9:00 A.M.
Morgan State vs. Gardner-Webb | 10:00 A.M.
North Carolina Central vs. Florida A&M | 11:00 A.M.
Maryland Eastern Shore vs. Florida A&M | 12:00 P.M.
South Carolina State vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 2:00 P.M.
Norfolk State vs. Elon | 3:00 P.M.
Coppin State vs. Virginia Tech | 3:00 P.M.
Morgan State vs. Lehigh | 4:00 P.M.
 
Sunday, August 30
George Mason vs. Howard | 2:00 P.M.
 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 56^th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2026–27 academic year. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC is comprised of eight distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along the Atlantic seaboard: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, and South Carolina State University. Since its founding in 1970, the MEAC has been dedicated to promoting academic excellence, sportsmanship, and the personal growth of student athletes. For more information, visit www.MEACSports.com.