BALTIMORE, Md. (Oct. 30, 2024)--The Morgan State volleyball team will head to the Carolinas this upcoming weekend, as the Bears will make stops in Durham, N.C. and Orangeburg, S.C. Morgan State will first visit Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foe, North Carolina Central on Friday, Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. at McDougald-McLendon Arena, before concluding its trip on Sunday, Nov. 3 against South Carolina State at 11 a.m. at Dukes Gymnasium.
 
This weekend the Bears will look to complete a series sweep over the Eagles when they meet in Durham, while also avenging the program's first-ever loss to South Carolina State earlier this season, when they meet the Lady Bulldogs on Sunday.
 
Morgan State (5-18, 1-8 MEAC), in the midst of a six-match losing skid, is coming off back-to-back heartbreaking five-set losses at Maryland Eastern Shore (10/25) and at home to Delaware State (10/27).
 
North Carolina Central (5-15, 3-6 MEAC) enters Friday's contest coming off a 3-0 loss at league leader Howard on Sunday in Washington, D.C., which ended a season-long two-match winning streak. Kennedy Clark and Kamren Harper each tallied a team-best eight kills. Gabriela Felix-Barca and Emmie Modlin led the Eagles with seven digs apiece. Bella Dearinger recorded a team-high 20 assists.
 
South Carolina State (3-17, 1-7 MEAC), which has dropped five straight, is coming off a 3-0 loss at Norfolk State (10/27). Xaria Pickett recorded a double-double with a match-high 12 kills and 15 digs. Kaia Barnett also had a double-double with 18 assists and 11 digs. Miya Benson totaled 10 digs in the loss.
 
NCCU SERIES NOTES: North Carolina Central leads the all-time series, 6-4. Morgan State won this season's first meeting, 3-0 in Baltimore (10/4) to end a six-match losing skid to the Eagles.
 
SCSU SERIES NOTES: Morgan State holds a 29-1 all-time series lead over the Lady Bulldogs. S.C. State won this season's first meeting in Baltimore (10/6), as it spoiled Morgan's Homecoming match with a 3-1 victory to pick up its first-ever win over Morgan State. The win also ended a 76-match MEAC losing streak and was the Lady Bulldogs' first MEAC win since 2018 when they defeated Savannah State, 3-1 on the road (9/28/18).
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State will return home to host league leader Howard on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. at Hill Field House.
  
LAST SERVE: Morgan State (5-16, 1-6 MEAC) concluded the first half of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) schedule giving the defending champs all they could handle, before falling short to Coppin State in a 3-1 (14-25, 26-28, 26-24, 28-30) loss to the Eagles last Friday evening at the Physical Education Complex. Daniela Ferreira led the Bears with 16 kills and had 18 digs to record a double-double. Addison Metts also recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs in a losing effort. Mya Karricktotaled a team-high 27 assists and Trinity Carruthers added 17 assists. Morgan State finished the match holding a 16.0-7.0 blocking advantage over Coppin State. It marked the 16thtime out of 21 matches this season that Morgan State has out blocked its opponent. Jada Williams led the way with a career-high nine combined blocks, including two solo blocks. Williams is now seven blocks shy of passing former Lady Bear O'Tasha Williams (164 blocks from 2005-06), for 12th place on the career charts. Aubrey Wilson and Carruthers tallied seven and six blocks, respectively.
 
WILLIAMS MOVES INTO 12th: Jada Williams recorded five assisted blocks, including two solo blocks against Delaware State (10/27) to give her 189 career blocks and move her past former Lady Bear Keana Browne (186 from 2014-17) for 12th-place on the career charts. Williams now needs six blocks to pass from Lady Bear Dorthy Buford (194 from 1997-2000) for 11^th and nine blocks to pass Kyria Jones (197 from 1994-97) for 10^th.
 
BLOCK PARTY: Morgan State has out blocked 18 of its first 23 opponents to start the season, following the Bears' 13.0-5.0 blocking advantage over Delaware State (10/27). During the Penn Invitational (Sept. 13-14), the Bears would out block all three of its opponents: Le Moyne (12.0-6.0), Manhattan (14.0-10.0) and host Penn (8.0-2.0). The Bears began the season out blocking its first three opponents. The Bears held a blocking advantage over Lehigh (9.0-8.0), Duquesne (10.0-6.0) and Saint Francis-Pa. (13.0-3.0), before being out blocked itself, by rival Towson (5.0-11.0) in the finale of the Morgan/Towson Invitational (Aug. 30-Sept. 1).
 
KARRICK SETS CAREER-HIGH: Sophomore Mya Karrick set a career-high 42 assists against Norfolk State (10/13). Her total surpassed her previous career mark of 35 assists, which she set this season in the MEAC opener against Maryland Eastern Shore (9/27).
 
CARRUTHERS REACHES 1,000 ASSISTS CLUB: Senior Trinity Carruthers joined the 1,000 assists club at Morgan State against Le Moyne (10/13) in the Bears' opening match of the Penn Invitational. A native of Grand Prairie, Texas, Carruthers, who finished with 12 assists, reached the 1,000-assists plateau on her 10th assist of the match against the Dolphins. Carruthers currently has 1,135 assists for her career, which ranks 11th all-time. 
 
METTS, KARRICK NAMED TO ALL-PATRIOT INVITE TEAM: Morgan State senior outside hitter Addison Metts and sophomore setter Mya Karrick were named to the Patriot Invite All-Tournament Team. A native of Hobart, Ind., Metts averaged 10 kills, 7.3 digs and two blocks per match. She totaled 30 kills, 22 digs, six blocks and a service ace in three matches. Metts hit .250 with 11 kills, one dig and a service ace in the opener at George Mason. She totaled 12 digs and nine kills, falling one kill short of a double-double and added three blocks in a five-set victory over Gardner-Webb. In the finale against FDU, Metts again fell shy of a double-double, as she hit a set-best .310 with 10 kills, nine digs and three blocks. Karrick, a native of Shorewood, Minn., averaged 23 assists and 6.6 digs per match over the weekend. She recorded 23 assists, five digs, two service aces and an assisted block in the tournament opener against host George Mason. In a five-set win over Gardner-Webb, Karrick totaled 32 assists, with nine digs, an ace and a kill against the Runnin' Bulldogs. She closed out the weekend with 14 assists, six digs and four service aces in the finale against Fairleigh Dickinson.
 
WILSON NAMED MEAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Freshman middle blocker Aubrey Wilsonwas named MEAC Rookie of the Week (9/16). The Fayetteville, Ga. native totaled 13 kills, 14 blocks, including one solo, four service aces, two digs and an assist to help Morgan to a 2-1 week at the Penn Invitational (9/13-14). Wilson had seven blocks, six kills and three aces in the opener against Le Moyne.  She would end the week with four kills and three blocks in a sweep of Penn.
 
LET'S GO FIVE: Morgan State has played in eight five-set matches this season and is 2-6 in those contests, following a loss to Norfolk State (10/13). The Bears played in back-to-back five-set contests last weekend in the Penn Invitational. Morgan lost to Le Moyne in five in the opener (9/13), then turned around the next day and earned a reverse sweep of Manhattan (9/14) for its first five-set win of the season. 
    -    At West Georgia (9/6), L 2-3
    -    Vs. Le Moyne (9/13), L 2-3
    -    Vs. Manhattan (9/14), W 3-2
    -    Vs. Gardner-Webb (9/20), W 3-2
    -    Maryland Eastern Shore (9/27), L 2-3
    -    Norfolk State (10/13), L 2-3
    -    At Maryland Eastern Shore (10/25), L 2-3
    -    Delaware State (10/27), L 2-3
 
HOMECOMING: Morgan State freshman Libero Paula Sigurani returned home when the Bears competed in the Patriot Invite (Sept. 19-21). A native of Woodbrige, Va., Sigurani grew up 17.4 miles away from George Mason's Recreation and Athletic Complex, where the volleyball matches were played.
 
WELCOME BACK AINARA: Senior Ainara Fernandes returned to the lineup for the first time this season against Le Moyne (9/13) in the opener of the Penn Invitational. Fernandes would finish with four kills, three blocks, two digs, an assist and an ace against the Dolphins. The next day in the Bears' five-set victory over Manhattan, Fernandes recorded 10 kills, four digs, two service aces, an assist and a block.
 
KARRICK, FERREIRA NAMED TO PENN ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Morgan State sophomore Mya Karrick and junior Daniela Ferreira were named to the Penn Invitational All-Tournament Team (9/14). Karrick averaged 4.83 assists and 2.23 digs per set for the week. She would total 57 assists, 29 digs, two kills and five service aces. Karrick tallied a double-double with 25 assists and 15 digs in a come-from-behind reverse sweep victory over Manhattan. She concluded the week with 14 assists, six digs and three aces in a sweep of host Penn. Ferreira hit .339 with a total of 30 kills, 11 digs, nine blocks and two assists. She began the week with 11 kills, seven digs, two blocks and an assist in a five-set loss to Le Moyne. Ferreira recorded 14 kills, while hitting .400 and added four digs and three blocks in a reverse sweep of Manhattan.
 
WILLIAMS NAMED TO WEST GEORGIA TOURNAMENT TEAM: Sophomore middle blocker Jada Williams was named to the University of West Georgia All-Tournament Team. The Fredericksburg, Va. native totaled 20 kills, 13 blocks, a dig and a service ace in three matches in Carrollton, Ga. Williams began the week with a team-high six kills to go with a match-high five assisted blocks and had a dig in the opener against Georgia State (9/6). Later that day she totaled seven kills, matched a career-high seven blocks, including one solo and had a dig in a five-set thriller against host West Georgia. In the tournament finale, Williams recorded seven kills, a service ace and had an assisted block against UNC Asheville (9/7) to give her 119 career blocks to move past former Lady Bear, Dinah Jones (118 from 2012-15) for 16th-place on the career charts.
 
WELCOME BACK MADISON: Junior Madison Grace made her anticipated return to the Morgan lineup during last week's Morgan/Towson Invitational and totaled seven kills and a dig in the season opener against Lehigh (8/30). It was her first action after missing the entire 2023 season due to an injury. Grace would total 21 kills, a dig, an ace and four blocks including two solos in four matches.
 
OPENING SERVE: Morgan State fell to 9-23 in season openers since the 1993 season, following last week's season opening loss at home to Lehigh (8/30). The Bears' last opening day victory was a 3-2 win at home against Seton Hall in the opener of the Morgan/Towson Invitational (8/30/19).
 
FOLLOW THE BEARS ON TWTTER: Morgan volleyball fans can follow the Bears on Twitter. Check out regular updates on the team which will feature live tweets from games and on road trips. To follow the Morgan State Athletics Twitter page visit Twitter.com/MorganStBears.
 
MORGAN PICKED SEVENTH IN MEAC: Morgan State was picked to finish seventh this season 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 Bears were also picked to finish seventh.
  
BEARS EARN 2023-24 AVCA TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD: The Morgan State volleyball team was honored in July as a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award sponsored by INTENT for the 2023-24 season. It marked the fourth time in program history and the first since the 2021-22 season the Bears have earned this award. Morgan State posted a team GPA of 3.477 for the 2023-24 academic year.
   
MORGAN TO HOLD 2ND ANNUAL EDUCATION DAY: Morgan State will hold its second annual Education Day on Friday, November 8, when it welcomes Howard to Hill Field House for a 6 p.m. match. Morgan State and Bowie State met last season in the inaugural Education Day match, a 3-0 sweep for the Bears. Last season's meeting ended a 32-year hiatus between the two Maryland HBCUs. A total of 430 local youth ranging from third to fifth grade were in attendance for the match. It was just the third meeting all-time between the two teams, with the previous two contests coming during the 1991 season, both wins by Morgan.
 
WILLIAMS NAMED TO ALL-MEAC ROOKIE TEAM: Sophomore Jada Williams was named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team last season. It was the first All-MEAC volleyball honor for Morgan State since teammate Madison Grace was named to the 2021 MEAC All-Rookie Team. Williams also became the first All-MEAC selection under head coach Xiomara Ortiz. A native of Fredericksburg, Va., Williams finished the regular season leading the Bears in blocks with 93, which ranked second in the MEAC. Her total also tied for seventh on the Morgan State single season charts and ranks 19thall-time at Morgan. Williams, averaged 1.07 kills and 1.04 blocks per set, concluded the regular season with 95 kills, 43 digs, 18 service aces, eight assists and twice recorded a match-high seven blocks against Manhattan and Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
SOMEONE NEW: Morgan State will square off against four first-time opponents this season. The Bears will take on Georgia State and host West Georgia on Day 1 of the West Georgia Tournament (9/16) and will meet both Le Moyne (9/13) and host Penn (9/14) in the Penn Invitational.
 
LOOKING TO STAY UNBEATEN: Morgan State will look to add to its perfect record and remain unbeaten against non-conference foes Bowie State, Gardner-Webb, Manhattan and fellow MEAC member South Carolina State. Last season the Bears met Division II Bowie State for the first time since the 1991 campaign and improved to 3-0 against the Bulldogs. The two will meet again this season for Education Day on Sept. 10…Morgan State holds a 2-0 advantage over Gardner-Webb. The two last med in the Spartan Spiketacular in Greensboro (9/18/10), a five-set win by the Bears…The two will met in the Patriot Invite hosted by George Mason (9/20/)…The Bears and Manhattan met last season for the first time in the Columbia Tournament (9/9/23), which Morgan would win in four sets. Morgan State and the Jaspers will meet in this year's Penn Invitational (9/14)…The Bears also enter this season with a 29-0 all-time record against the Lady Bulldogs of South Carolina State. Morgan State and S.C. State will first meet on Sunday, Oct. 6 in Baltimore, Md., before facing each other again on Sunday, Nov. 3 in Orangeburg, S.C.
 
TOURNAMENT EXPOSURE: The Bears will again take part in four regular season tournaments this year. Following the Morgan/Towson Invitational (Aug. 30-Sept. 1) against Lehigh, Duquesne, Saint Francis-Pa. and Towson, the Bears will head to Carrollton, Ga., to face Georgia State, host West Georgia and UNC Asheville for the West Georgia Tournament (Sept. 6-7). Next will be a trip to Philadelphia, Pa. for the Penn Invitational (Sept. 13-14) against Le Moyne, Manhattan and host Penn. Morgan will conclude its tournament action with a trip to Fairfax, Va. to compete in the Patriot Invite (Sept. 19-21) hosted by George Mason. The Bears will take on host George Mason in the opener and will face Gardner-Webb and Fairleigh Dickinson.                                                         
 
SEVEN NAMED TO MEAC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM: Morgan State had seven players (Erin Carpenter, Trinity Carruthers, Gabriela Hiciano, Justyus Jackson, Jourdan Page, Alyssa Sampsonand Ellis Spencer) named to the MEAC Volleyball All-Academic Team during the 2023-24 school year. Three of the seven recognized, Erin Carpenter, Trinity Carruthers and Ellis Spencer return for the 2024 season.
 
WELCOME TO THE CAVE: Morgan State welcomes the addition of nine newcomers to the 2024 squad, four transfers: Hannah Chappelle(Cedar Hill, Texas), Addison Metts (Hobart, Ind.), Daniela Ferreira (Lisbon, Portugal) and Mikaela Esparza (Chandler, Ariz.), along with five freshmen in Aubrey Wilson (Fayetteville, Ga.), Selah Brashear(Severn, Md.), Paula Sigurani (Woodbridge, Va.), Jordan Williams (Birmingham, Ala.) and Piper Newton (Leawood, Kan.)
 
SAYING GOODBYE: Morgan State will say goodbye to four seniors, Trinity Carruthers, Erin Carpenter, Ainara Fernandes, Madison Grace and Addison Metts prior to its home finale 'Senior Night' match against Coppin State (11/15).
 
2024 MEAC CHAMPIONSHIP: This year's MEAC Volleyball Championship will take place November 21-24 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.