BALTIMORE, Md. (Nov. 7, 2015)-When Morgan State seniors Samantha Prescott (captain), Shayna Hunt-Colon (co-captain), Arianna Hayden, Dinah Jones, Carmen Fernandez and Evely Macedo take the court for Sunday afternoon's Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Northern Division match-up and regular season finale against crosstown rival Coppin State, it will mark the final time of their career the six seniors will suit up in the orange and blue in the friendly confines of Hill Field House.
 
Prescott, Hunt-Colon, Hayden and Jones, have all spent their entire four years at Morgan State since teaming up together as freshmen in 2012, while Fernandez and Macedo joined the Lady Bears in 2014 as junior transfers. All six players will be honored prior to Sunday's 'Senior Day' contest which gets underway at 3 p.m. A win by the Lady Bears will secure the No. 2 seed in the northern division for the upcoming MEAC Tournament (Nov. 20-22) in Princess Anne, Md.
 
A native of Lorain, Ohio, Hunt-Colon had her best all-around season as a Lady Bear during her junior campaign, averaging 1.10 digs per set a year ago as a reserve defensive specialist. She notched a career-high 12 digs and added an assist on the road at Delaware State and chipped in with four digs and a kill in the title match of the Friar Classic against Fairleigh Dickinson. She also set a career-high .667 hitting percentage in the opening week against host Charlotte during the Charlotte Invitational.
 
This season, the co-captain has played in 24 matches, making nine starts. She has totaled 50 digs and 13 kills, both season-bests. She had a career-best five kills, a career-high two assists and had a season-best 11 digs against Duquesne during the Maryland Invite.
 
Hunt-Colon enters today's contest having played in a total of 158 sets, collecting 135 digs, 36 kills, 11 assists, 10 service aces and 12 blocks during her career and served this season as co-captain.
 
Off the court, Hunt-Colon is a three-time first-team Morgan State Academic honoree, a two-time MEAC Commissioner's All-Academic Team recipient and has received the Elijah Rowe Award for Academic Excellence the past two years, which is awarded to the Morgan State female with the highest grade point average. She is also a member of the National Association of Black Accountants and is an admissions office student ambassador at Morgan State.
 
"My career experience at Morgan has been exciting and I've learned so much as a student-athlete" said Hunt-Colon. Morgan has helped to shape me into the person I am today and I am excited to be an alum come this Spring."
 
As for the Senior Day match-up against rival Coppin State, Hunt-Colon said, "I'm glad we are playing them for Senior Day, because it's always a good game with your cross-town rivals."
 
A 5-foot-9 native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, Fernandez joined the Lady Bears' program last season as a junior transfer. A year ago she played in 25 of the 26 matches played, totaling 883 assists, which ranked 10^th on the all-time single season charts at Morgan State. She ranked third in the MEAC in assists and ninth in service aces per set. She also added 59 kills, 27 service aces and 24 blocks. Recorded eight double-doubles in digs and assists and notched 40-plus assists eight times. Had a career-high 59 assists and 14 digs in a win over George Mason in the finale of the Red Flash Classic. It was the second consecutive tournament championship victory for the Lady Bears. Totaled 111 assists, 24 digs, eight kills, four aces and two blocks in three matches to earn Friar Classic All-Tournament Team honors, while helping Morgan State capture the Friar Classic title.
 
This season she has played in a total of 88 Sets, while starting in 24 of the 25 matches played. She ranks third in the MEAC in assists with 8.85 per set and is sixth in service aces. She has totaled 779 assists, 159 digs, 39 kills, 26 blocks and ranks second on the team in service aces with 28. She has collected six double-doubles this season, including a season-high 55 assists and 13 digs earlier this season at Coppin State. Last week she set a career-high four blocks, including two solos to go with 32 assists and 10 digs at Delaware State, which earned her MEAC Player of the Week honors.
 
"My experience was pretty amazing. I met so many amazing people in only two years and thanks to those people, I had so many stories to tell," said Fernandez. "I also learned skills that are going to help me be successful in life. Finally, thanks to Coach (Ramona Riley-Bozier) for giving me this opportunity to continue my volleyball career and the real deal of life, my education."
 
Fernandez enters today's contest having played in a total of 179 sets, recording 1,662 assists, 351 digs, 98 kills, 55 service aces and 50 blocks during her two-year career. Currently she ranks fifth all-time at Morgan State in career assists. Fernandez is also just the second Lady Bear player from Puerto Rico to play for Coach Bozier.
 
"I always wanted to have a great match for Senior Day because I like to compete and this match against Coppin is going to set the tone for MEAC," said Fernandez. "We are ready to compete and finish. That's the motto."
 
Macedo, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter, also spent the past two seasons as a Lady Bear after transferring to Morgan State as a junior. The Fortaleza, Brazil native last season ranked second on the team in digs with 207 and was tied for second in kills with 223. She also tallied 26 blocks, 21 assists, and 18 service aces. Had a career-best 23 digs against Saint Francis-Pa., to help the Lady Bears capture the Red Flash Classic championship.
 
After missing the first eight matches this season, she made her at UMBC and set a career-high with 18 kills. Hours later she set a new career-high with 21 kills and nine digs against Rider and would earn Maddie Bingaman All-Tournament Team honors. This season she's recorded 188 kills, 158 digs, 28 blocks, 14 service aces and 11 assists.
 
"I am glad that I made it through all four years in America," said Macedo. "I will miss volleyball a lot. I will miss being part of a team and working as a team. It is crazy to think that my senior day is tomorrow, because it seems it was just yesterday when I was a freshman, who didn't even speak English."
 
Macedo enters today's contest having played in a total of 164 Sets, collecting 411 kills, 365 digs, 32 assists, 32 service aces and 54 blocks during her two-year career. She is the first Lady Bear player from Brazil to play for Coach Bozier. Off the court she is a member of the National Mathematics Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta.
 
"I am very excited to play Coppin tomorrow," added Macedo. "I wouldn't ask for any other team to play against in my last home game."
 
Jones has steadily improved every season since her freshman campaign. A starter for the past two seasons, she had her best season as a Lady Bear as a junior when she totaled 213 kills, 32 digs, nine service aces and a team-leading 64 blocks and was awarded the team's most improved award. The Annapolis, Md. native ranked ninth in the MEAC in hitting percentage and tied a career-high with 16 kills against Florida A&M in the MEAC quarterfinals. She also set a career-high seven blocks that season against Norfolk State, and was named to the Red Flash All-Tournament team. She even finished with a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage, recording seven kills on seven attempts against Quinnipiac.
 
A 6-foot-1 middle hitter, this season Jones has posted double digits in kills five times, including a season-best 15 kills at Coppin State. A one-time second-team Morgan State All-Academic team honoree, she is a member of Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the National Council of Negro Women at Morgan State.
 
"It's very bittersweet," said Jones of her volleyball career coming to an end. "I remember coming to Morgan my freshman year like it was yesterday and now I'm stepping on my home court one last time to play volleyball. I'm going to miss it of course, but I'm also ready to see what the future has in store for me."
 
A two-sport star in both volleyball and basketball, she enters today's contest having recorded 355 kills, 44 digs, 32 assists and 109 blocks.
 
"Playing Coppin at home for Senior Day just raises the expectation," said Jones. "We must beat them, go out strong and go into the tournament with a win."
 
A native of Chicago, Ill., Hayden had her best all-around performance last year, earning All-MEAC third-team honors. She led the Lady Bears with a season-best 260 kills, ranking second in service aces (28) and blocks (52), including a season-best 11 solo blocks and was third in digs with 206. She earned MEAC Co-Player of the Week honors after being named MVP of the Friar Classic and was also named to the East Carolina Classic and Charlotte Invitational All-Tournament teams.
 
The 5-foot-9 right side hitter made the switch midway through her sophomore season from her outside hitter position to libero and finished second on the team with 220 digs, including a career-high 34 digs at UMES. She earned Marriot Greyhound Challenge and Battle of the Bay All-Tournament team honors during her freshman campaign and was named the team's rookie of the year after leading the team in kills with 219. She tallied her first double-double of her career with a career-high 18 kills and 13 digs at Delaware State.
 
"Playing at Morgan has taught me a lot about volleyball and life," said Hayden. "I feel that I definitely have grown as a player. I've learned how important teamwork is and what it takes to win. I've played in one way or another my entire career at Morgan and it seems like just yesterday I was playing in my first match. I've been a part of some amazing victories and we as a team and individuals have grown so much, it's bittersweet."
 
This season Hayden ranks second on the team in kills (209), digs (190) and blocks 32, while collecting 11 assists and 21 service aces. She reached a season-best 16 kills four times.
 
A member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee at Morgan State, she enters today's contest having played in a total of 354 sets, recording 762 kills, 768 digs, 44 assists, 53 service aces and 136 blocks during her four-year career. Ranks 10^th all-time on the Morgan State charts with 2,224 attack attempts and is tied for 12^th in digs.
 
"My last time playing a home game as a Morgan State Lady Bear…Where did the time go?" said Hayden. Playing in my last match will be memorable for me. But I certainly will go into it like any other game. Wanting to win, and supporting my teammates around me."
 
Prescott, who is this year's team captain, is a four-year starter for the Lady Bears, having played nearly every position on the court. The 5-foot-10 utility specialist last season as a junior she recorded 2.24 digs and 1.93 kills per set. A native of Trinidad & Tobago, Prescott finished with a total of 185 kills, 215 digs, 87 assists and 23 blocks. Her role also included being the team's back-up setter and was pulled into that duty against Norfolk State, following an injury to the starting setter. She would total 27 assists in three sets played against Norfolk State. Two days later she would make her first collegiate start at setter and notched a career-high 41 assists, while recording a career-high .750 hitting percentage at Delaware State.
 
During her sophomore season, Prescott led the Lady Bears in kills (258), attempts (739) and digs (260). She was named to the Friar Classic All-Tournament team. As a freshman she posted a career-high 22 kills and added a then career-high 19 digs against Delaware State. She would earn MEAC Rookie of the Week honors for her performance and later was named the team's MVP at the end of the season. Was also a second-team Morgan State Academic honoree and is a member of the Caribbean Student Organization at Morgan State.
 
Prescott enters the Coppin State match having recorded 673 kills, 880 digs, 87 blocks and 126 assists and currently ranks eighth all-time at Morgan State in career digs.
 
"These four years playing for Morgan have been a great learning experience for me and I am very thankful that Coach Bozier gave me this opportunity to help shape me into the person that I am today," said Prescott. "I think it's fitting that we play Coppin because they have been our cross-town rivals since freshman year and we're hoping to go out there and kick some butt."