MSU Notes

Match 13: Morgan State at Cornell, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 | Live Video | Live Stats
Match 14: Morgan State at Syracuse, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023 | Live Video | Live Stats

BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 15, 2023)--The Morgan State volleyball team will spend its second consecutive weekend in New York, when it visits both Cornell and Syracuse for the Cornell/Syracuse Invitational (Sept. 15-16). Last weekend the Bears competed in the Columbia Tournament (Sept. 8-9), hosted by Columbia University. Morgan will travel to Ithaca, N.Y. to first take on the Big Red of Cornell on Friday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m., before traveling to Syracuse, N.Y. to face Syracuse on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 2 p.m.
 
MSU AGAINST THE FIELD: Morgan is 0-1 all-time against both Cornell and Syracuse.

A LOOK AT CORNELL: Cornell (1-6) has dropped six consecutive matches, following a 3-1 loss at Colgate (9/9). Eliza Konvicka led the Big Red with a match-high 17 kills and Jaida Sione added 11. Doga Ozalp tallied a match-high 41 assists and Sarita Pomar finished with 20 digs.
 
THE IVY EXPERIENCE: The matchup with Cornell will be the Bears' third and final contest this season against an Ivy League opponent. Morgan State split its first two matches, defeating Dartmouth, 3-1 in the Morgan/Towson Invitational (9/1), before losing on the road at Columbia (9/9) in five sets. 
 
A LOOK AT SYRACUSE: Syracuse (1-7) like Cornell, is also coming off a loss at Colgate in its last outing, dropping a 3-0 decision on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Cherlin Antonio led the Orange with a match-high 14 kills. Mira Ledermueller finished with a match-best 23 assists and Alyssa Bert totaled nine digs.
 
MEAC-SYRACUSE PARTNERSHIP: In the fall of 2021, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Syracuse began a 10-year partnership, scheduling an agreement goal of up to 50 competitions between Syracuse and MEAC institutions over the course of the next decade. The goal of the MEAC-Syracuse Alliance is to connect institutions, student-athletes, staff and alumni between Syracuse and the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) along the Atlantic coastline that make up the MEAC. Additional elements of the alliance include an internship exchange program, various seminars and professional conferences as well as visiting professorships/lectureships.
 
NEXT UP: The Bears return home to host in-state HBCU foe Bowie State on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. for Education Day at Hill Field House. It will be the first meeting between the two programs, ending a 32-year hiatus. Morgan leads the series 2-0, with both contests coming during the 1991 season.
 
LAST WHISTLE: Morgan State (4-8) is coming off a 3-0 sweep of Division III Notre Dame of Maryland (9/13). The win helped MSU surpass last season's win total of three. Ainara Fernandes had a match-high eight kills, while Tiffany Moore and Tyrah Weems had seven. The Bears hit .405 for the match with Jada Williams (five kills) recording a match-high .714 attack percentage. Trinity Carruthers totaled 16 assists and Erin Carpenter finished with 15. Morgan State, which had 16 service aces, received a match-high five aces from Carruthers and four by Carpenter. Alyssa Sampson tallied nine digs.
 
BEARS LOOSE IN TIME SQUARE: The MSU volleyball team took some time out on Thursday (9/7) to enjoy the sites, sounds and food of New York. The team's tour began with a ferry ride from Staten Island to Manhattan. From there the team walked to the World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. The Bears then ventured to Times Square AKA the "Bow Tie" of Midtown, referring to 41^st to 47^th Street, along Broadway and Seventh Avenue. Those blocks form what looks like a giant bow tie. Morgan State then finished its evening with a team dinner at Carmine's Italian restaurant.
 
TAKE TWO: The Bears earned back-to-back wins over Dartmouth and FDU during the co-hosted Morgan/Towson Invitational. It was the first two-match winning streak for Morgan State since the Spring 2021 season when the Bears earned 3-0 sweeps at home over George Washington (Jan. 29) and Howard (Feb. 12).
 
THAT'S A FIRST: Morgan State picked up its first win of the season, following a 3-2 victory over Dartmouth (9/1) during the Morgan/Towson Invitational. It was also the first meeting between the two programs. The victory was also the Bears first over an Ivy League opponent in 10 tries. 
 
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, 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.