DOVER, Del. (Nov. 21, 2024)--Morgan State sophomore middle blocker Jada Williams was named to the All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) First Team, while junior outside hitter Daniela Ferreira was named to the All-MEAC Second Team and freshman middle blocker Aubrey Wilson earned All-MEAC Rookie Team honors as announced on Thursday evening during the league's pre-tournament awards banquet.
 
"It is amazing to see our conference recognize the determination, hard work, and passion these ladies have brought to the court. They have truly earned it," said Morgan State head coach Xiomara Ortiz. "We've been fighting all season and they all have played a crucial part to the upward trajectory of our team."
 
Howard junior Rya McKinnon repeated as MEAC Volleyball Player of the Year for a third consecutive season, while teammate Leah Reeves was named MEAC Setter of the Year and Howard head coach Shaun Kupferburg was named Coach of the Year. Delaware State's Paige Ahakuelo was selected as MEAC Rookie of the Year and Norfolk State's Lily Rose-Pichon earned the league's Defensive Player of the Year award.
 
All awards were voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Williams, who last season earned MEAC Rookie Team honors, led the conference in blocks with 113 total and 29 solo blocks. She is currently tied for 90^th among NCAA Division I players in blocks and has helped the Bears rank 51^st in the nation in blocks as a team with 248.5. She has totaled 207 career blocks, which ranks 10^th all-time at Morgan State.
 
The Fredericksburg, Va. native recorded 165 kills, 37 digs, nine service aces and eight assists in 107 sets played this season. She is averaging 1.54 kills and 1.06 blocks per set and ranked seventh in the MEAC in hitting percentage (.265). Williams set a career high in blocks twice this season, first recording a then career-high eight blocks to go with a season-best 11 kills in a win over Manhattan (9/14) at the Penn Invitational. She then broke that mark with a new career-high nine blocks, including seven solo blocks to go with eight kills in the MEAC opener against Maryland Eastern Shore (9/27) and matched it with nine blocks at Coppin State (10/18).

"I'm so grateful to be on a team full of girls who push me to be the best I can be and even more grateful to be led by coaches who believe in me," said Williams. "I'm so blessed to be awarded with first team honors and I'm very excited for the future with my girls."

 
 
Ferreira finished the regular season ranked eighth in the MEAC in points (346.5) and 10th in kills (287) at 2.63 kills per set. She led the team in kills and kills per set (2.63), ranked second on the team in service aces with 22 and was third in blocks with 63. She also added 185 digs and 20 assists on the season.
 
A native of Portugal, Ferreira reached double figures in kills 20 times, including a season-best 21 kills at North Carolina Central (11/1). She reached double figures in digs six times and had three double-doubles, including a season-high 18 digs to go with 16 kills at Coppin State (10/18). She would earn Penn Invitational All-Tournament Team honors (9/13-14).
 
A native of Fayetteville, Ga., Wilson ranked fourth in the MEAC in blocks finished second on the team in blocks with 91 (0.89 per set). Wilson totaled 105 kills, 33 digs, 10 service aces and seven assists in 102 sets played.
 
The one-time MEAC Rookie of the Week selection (9/17) finished the regular season ranked fourth in the MEAC in blocks (0.89). Wilson matched her season high of seven blocks three times and recorded a season-high 10 kills to go with seven blocks in a win against Gardner-Webb (9/20) in the Patriot Invite.
 
"Jada and Daniela have shown great leadership and grit in tough moments for our team and as for Aubrey, she still has so much untapped potential and learning to do but has done a great job being a dominant presence as a first year to be an impact right away," said Ortiz. "I'm excited to see all three of them continue to thrive and dominate more as they put their time into this sport!"
 

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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.