Volleyball | 8/30/2026 6:41:12 PM

NORFOLK, Va. – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opened the 2026 volleyball season with a full weekend of action across the league, finishing with a combined record of 9-13.

Delaware State and North Carolina Central each picked up multiple wins, while South Carolina State, Coppin State, Maryland Eastern Shore and Norfolk State also earned victories during the opening weekend.

The Hornets were the lone MEAC team to finish the weekend undefeated, posting a perfect 3-0 record at the Betty K. Austin Invitational, hosted by Alabama A&M.

Scores Around the League
Friday, Aug. 28
Delaware State def. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 3-0
North Carolina Central def. Florida A&M, 3-1
Alabama A&M def. Maryland Eastern Shore, 3-0
Coppin State def. William & Mary, 3-1
South Carolina State def. Mississippi Valley State, 3-2
Cleveland State def. Morgan State, 3-0
Kent State def. Coppin State, 3-2
Delaware State def. Florida A&M, 3-1
USC Upstate def. Norfolk State, 3-1
North Carolina Central def. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 3-0
Alabama A&M def. South Carolina State, 3-0
Maryland Eastern Shore def. Mississippi Valley State, 3-0
Maryland def. Howard, 3-0

Saturday, Aug. 29
Delaware State def. Mississippi Valley State, 3-0
Gardner-Webb def. Morgan State, 3-0
Alabama A&M def. North Carolina Central, 3-2
Florida A&M def. Maryland Eastern Shore, 3-0
Arkansas-Pine Bluff def. South Carolina State, 3-2
Norfolk State def. Elon, 3-1
Virginia Tech def. Coppin State, 3-1
Lehigh def. Morgan State, 3-0

Sunday, Aug. 30
George Mason def. Howard, 3-2

News and Notes

• Delaware State got off to a hot start, earning three victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Florida A&M and Mississippi Valley State while dropping just one set.
  • The Hornets held their opponents to a .074 hitting percentage and recorded 28 blocks.
  • Offensively, Delaware State was led by Aaliyah Mitchell, who tallied 35 kills, nine blocks and seven digs.
• Talia Emmen recorded 33 kills over the weekend while leading North Carolina Central to a 2-1 record. The Florence, S.C., native averaged 3.0 kills per set, helping the Eagles earn victories over Florida A&M and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
  • In the win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Emmen posted a team-best .400 hitting percentage.
• Coco Figueroa, the 2026 MEAC Preseason Player of the Year, opened the 2026 campaign with three consecutive matches recording double-digit digs.
  • She tallied 10 digs against William & Mary, 17 against Kent State and a match-high 20 against Virginia Tech.
• Gabrielle Gilbert turned in a standout performance in Norfolk State’s 3-1 win over Elon on Saturday, recording 15 kills while hitting .433.
• Dynasty Andrews of Maryland Eastern Shore recorded 11 kills while hitting .400 over the weekend. Additionally, Andrews tallied 10 blocks.

About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 56th 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.