Match 22 (MEAC Contest)
Friday, Oct. 21, 2022
Morgan State (2-19, 1-6 MEAC) at North Carolina Central (4-14, 3-4 MEAC)
Durham, N.C. | McDougald-McLendon Arena | 6 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Oct. 21, 2022)--The Morgan State volleyball team begins the second half of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) slate on the road this Friday, Oct. 21, when it visits North Carolina Central at 6 p.m. in Durham, N.C.
 
BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (2-19, 1-6 MEAC) is coming off a 3-0 home loss to Maryland Eastern Shore (10/16) to end the first half of the MEAC schedule on a four-match slide. Madison Grace and Jadyn Perkins, each had seven kills. Tyasia McDuffie collected 10 digs, while Trinity Carruthers totaled 17 assists and seven digs. Grace and Mackenzie Jefferson each finished with a match-high three service aces.
 
EAGLE SCRATCHES: North Carolina Central (4-14, 3-4 MEAC) ended a four-match losing skid with a 3-2 come-from-behind road victory at Norfolk State (10/16). The Eagles claimed the last three sets, including a 20-18 win in Set 5 to earn the victory and spoil Norfolk State's homecoming. It marked the second time this season that NCCU has comeback from a 2-0 set deficit to win. Kamren Harper had a team-high 18 kills and Tori Wilson added 15. Vanila Pulu-Suliafu added a double-double with 38 assists and 21 digs. Harper and Wilson each had a match-high three aces to lead the Eagles.
 
SERIES NOTES: The Eagles have won three straight to even the all-time series with Morgan State at 3-3. NCCU won the first meeting this season, defeating the Lady Bears, 3-2 in the MEAC opener (9/23) in Baltimore.
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State travel to Orangeburg, S.C. to visit the Bulldogs of South Carolina State on Sunday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m.
 
STILL PERFECT: Morgan State picked up its first MEAC win of the season, following a 3-0 defeat of visiting South Carolina State (9/25). The win was Morgan State's 26^th straight victory over the Lady Bulldogs in as many meetings. S.C. State is the lone MEAC opponent that Morgan State has never lost to in program history.
 
LET'S GO FIVE: Morgan State and North Carolina Central played five sets in the MEAC opener with the visiting Eagles defeating Morgan State 3-2. It was the second five-set contest this season for both teams. NCCU improved to 2-0 in five setters, while the Lady Bears fell to 1-1. Morgan's first five-setter of the season was a 3-2 non-conference win over Maryland Eastern Shore (9/16) at the George Mason Invitational.
 
ORTIZ TAKES OVER THE HELM: On May, 25, 2022, Xiomara Ortiz was announced as the new head coach of the Morgan State volleyball program. Ortiz, who became the seventh coach in program history, takes over for Ramona Riley-Bozier, who during her 34-year career captured nine MEAC regular season titles, four outright MEAC Tournament titles, guided the Lady Bears to three NCAA Tournament appearances, while becoming the school's all-time winningest coach in any sport with 481 victories. Ortiz comes to Morgan after spending a year as the assistant coach at Shippensburg University during the 2021 season and the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Lehigh University. A native of South Setauket, N.Y., Ortiz had a stellar four-year career as a libero at Binghamton University, where she set the school records for single-season digs (551) and career digs (1,925) in 116 matches played. As a freshman, she earned America East All-Rookie honors and was named to the All-America East Second Team as a sophomore. She was also a three-time member of the America East Honor Roll.
 
MORGAN PICKED SEVENTH IN MEAC: Morgan State was picked to finish seventh in the eight-team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason poll, as voted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Last season the Lady Bears were picked to finish tied for fourth in the MEAC with Maryland Eastern Shore and ended up seventh.
 
COLEMAN NAMED ASSISTANT COACH: Maegan Coleman will enter her first season as an assistant coach at Morgan State for the 2022 season. Coleman comes to Morgan after spending the 2021 season as the head coach at Cheyney University. Prior to Cheyney, Coleman also had one-year stints at West Alabama and Lamar Community College. While at LCC, the team ranked 13th in the nation for block solos, 32nd in digs and 37th in service aces in 2019. A native of Lancaster, Texas, Coleman began her collegiate career at Tyler Junior College, before concluding her playing career at Prairie View A&M. She helped the Panthers win two Southwestern Athletic Conference Western Division titles. Coleman was awarded the Student-Athlete Academic Award three times, and was the first student-athlete from Prairie View A&M to earn a Nike Internship.
 
SAYING GOODBYE: Morgan State will say goodbye to its lone senior, Melanie Battle prior to its home finale 'Senior Night' match against rival Coppin State (11/11). The match will also be the Lady Bears' regular season finale.
 
2022 MEAC CHAMPIONSHIP: This year's MEAC Volleyball Championship will take place November 18-20 in Dover, Del. at Memorial Hall on the campus of Delaware State University.
 
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.