Tournament Central
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Aug. 27, 2025)--The Morgan State volleyball team will open the 2025 campaign on the road this weekend when the Bears travel to Huntsville, Ala. to compete in the Betty Austin Invitational (Aug. 29-30). The Bears will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the opener on Friday, Aug. 29, before closing out Day 1 against host Alabama A&M. Morgan will then close out the weekend with a Saturday morning contest against Southern.
 
The Bears hold 1-0 series leads against all three opponents. Excluding recent Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) members Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M, the Bears enter the weekend with a perfect 10-0 mark against the SWAC. All of Morgan State's contests against both Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M took place when the two schools were still members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).
 
MORGAN AGAINST THE FIELD: Morgan State volleyball is a combined 3-0 against this weekend's opponents (Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alabama A&M and Southern), having recorded a win over all three. Arkansas-Pine Bluff: The Bears lead the all-time series, 1-0. The two programs first met in the Redhawks Invitational (9/2/17), hosted by Southeast Missouri State. Morgan would win 3-1 (25-18, 25-23, 19-25, 25-20)…Alabama A&M: Morgan State and the host Bulldogs will also meet for just the second time in program history. The Bears hold a 1-0 series lead, following a 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 21-25, 25-20) victory over Alabama A&M in the finale of the Dig The District Invitational (9/15/18) in Washington, D.C….Southern: Morgan leads the series, 1-0.
 
NEXT UP: The Bears will return home to co-host next week's 2025 Morgan/Towson Invitational (Sept. 5-6). Morgan State will welcome Quinnipiac in the opener on Friday, Sept. 5 at noon and will close out Day 1 with a match-up against Stonehill at 6 p.m. The Bears will wrap up the weekend against Kent State on Saturday at 1 p.m. All three contests will be held at Morgan State's Hill Field House.
 
OPENING SERVE: Morgan State fell to 9-23 in season openers since the 1993 season, following last season's 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).
  
LAST TIMEOUT: Morgan State concluded the 2024 season with a tough 3-2 loss to rival and then defending champion, Coppin State in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Tournament. Playing in their final collegiate match, Senior setter Trinity Carruthers led Morgan with 43 assists, while fellow senior outside hitter Madison Grace totaled 18 kills. Daniela Ferreira also had 18 kills and led the Bears with 21 digs. Hannah Chappelle finished with 13 digs and Carruthers added nine.
 
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 SIXTH IN MEAC: Morgan State was picked to finish sixth 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 picked to finish seventh for a third consecutive year.
 
LOOKING TO STAY UNBEATEN: Morgan will look to add to its perfect record and remain unbeaten against Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opponents, when the Bears take on Arkansas-Pine Bluff, host Alabama A&M and Southern in the Betty Austin Invitational (Aug. 29-30) in Huntsville, Ala. to open the season. In fact, the Bears enter this weekend a perfect 10-0 when facing a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Morgan State's all-time matches against recent SWAC newcomers Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M were all played when the two programs were still members of the MEAC.
 
FERREIRA, WILLIAMS NAMED AS LEADERS: Senior Daniela Ferreira and junior Jada Williams have been named as this season's leadership council. A native of Lisbon, Portugal, Ferreira enters her second season with the Bears. A year ago, she ranked 7^th in the MEAC in points, 9^th in kills per set and 10^th in hitting percentage and was named to the All-MEAC Tournament Team and the All-MEAC second team. Ferreira would lead Morgan in kills (305) and digs (206) last season and earned the team's MVP award. Williams, who enters her third season at Morgan State, was named to the 2024 All-MEAC first team after leading the MEAC in blocks with 118, while ranking 7^th in hitting percentage (.256). A native of Fredericksburg, Va., she finished her sophomore campaign ranked 98^th in the nation in blocks per set (2.29) and currently ranks 10^th all-time on the Morgan charts with 212 career blocks. Williams would receive the team's most improved award.
 
BLUE IT IS: Morgan State wrapped up its 2025 preseason camp on Friday, Aug. 21 with its annual Orange & Blue Scrimmage at Hill Field House. Team Blue would claim bragging rights with a 3-0 victory.
 
SWEET HOME ALABAMA: Morgan State sophomore opposite hitter/middle blocker Jordan Williams will return to her home state of Alabama this weekend when the Bears travel to Huntsville for the Betty Austin Invitational. Williams is a native of Birmingham and attended Clay-Chalkville High School.
 
TOURNAMENT EXPOSURE: The Bears will take part in three regular season tournaments this year. Following this weekend's Betty Austin Invitational, the Bears will head home to co-host the Morgan/Towson Invitational (Sept. 5-6) against Quinnipiac, Stonehill and Quinnipiac. Morgan State will then conclude its regular season tournament action with a trip to Fairfax, Va. to compete in its first contest in the Battle of the Beltway (Sept. 12-14). The Bears will return home on Day 2 to host Georgetown, before concluding the weekend on Day 3 on the road at George Washington in Washington, D.C.
 
WILLIAMS MOVING UP BLOCKS LIST: Junior middle blocker Jada Williams enters the season ranked 10^th all-time at Morgan State with 212 career blocks. The Fredericksburg, Va., native recorded a season-best 118 total blocks a year ago and is 16 away from passing Janelle Wilson (227 from 2010-13) for ninth on the career charts.
 
ESPARZA IN BOTSWANA: Senior Libero Mikaela Esparza represented Morgan State and the MEAC this summer participating in the second annual Ditsala International Cup in Botswana. The premier women's volleyball tournament brought together collegiate student-athletes from the United States with national teams from across Southern Africa. Esparza, who was playing on the HBCU Team, would spend six days in Botswana taking part in clinics, training sessions, community engagement and got to experience safaris and explore Southern Africa. On the court, Esparza and the HBCU team would go undefeated, highlighted by a thrilling gold medal match against Bring It Promotions, whose roster featured players from predominately white institutions.
 
SOMEONE NEW: Morgan State will square off against just one first-time opponent this season, when the Bears host Stonehill (9/5) in the Morgan/Towson Invitational.
  
WELCOME TO THE CAVE: Morgan State welcomes the addition of nine newcomers to the 2025 squad, three transfers: Jenae Mason (Durham, N.C.), Hanna Nemeth (Budapest, Hungary) and Mele Taumoepeau (Laie, Hawaii) along with five freshmen in Isabelle Brown (Avon, Ind.), Chloe Scott (Webster, N.Y.), Zayda Thomas (Land O Lakes, Fla.), Tameary Wardlaw (Sunrise, Pa.) and Viktoria Zelubouski (Malvern, Pa.).
  
2025 MEAC CHAMPIONSHIP: This year's MEAC Volleyball Championship will take place November 20-23 in Baltimore at the Physical Education Complex on the campus of Coppin State University.
 
BEARS EARN 2024-25 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 2024-25 season. It marked the second consecutive year and the fifth time in program history the Bears have earned this award.
 
FERREIRA NAMED TO MEAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Daniela Ferreira was named to the All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament Team. Ferreira became the first all-tournament team selection under head coach Xiomara Ortiz and the first Bear player since Zoe McBride and Tylar Roberson were named in 2019. A native of Lisbon, Portugal, Ferreira finished with a career- and match-high 21 digs and tied teammate Madison Grace with a match-high 18 kills to record a double-double in Morgan's thrilling five-set quarterfinal loss to defending champion Coppin State (11/22). It was the fourth double-double of the season for Ferreira, who also tallied a match-high three service aces and had two assisted blocks.
 
WILLIAMS RECEIVES FIRST-TEAM ALL-MEAC HONORS: Jada Williams was named to the 2024 All-MEAC first team last season as a sophomore. Williams led the conference in blocks during the regular season with 113 total and 29 solo blocks. She also ended the regular season 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 another nine blocks at Coppin State (10/18).
 
FERREIRA NAMED TO ALL-MEAC SECOND TEAM: Daniela Ferreira was named to the 2024 All-MEAC second team. In her first season with the Bears, 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 Lisbon, 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).
 
WILSON EARNS All-MEAC ROOKIE TEAM HONORS: Aubrey Wilson was named to the All-MEAC Rookie Team last season. 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.
 
11 NAMED TO MEAC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM: Morgan State had 11 players (Jada Williams, Mya Karrick, Erin Carpenter, Trinity Carruthers, Hannah Chappelle, Ainara Fernandez, Addison Metts, Daniela Ferreira, Tyrah Weems, Mikaela Esparza and Ellis Spencer) named to the MEAC Volleyball All-Academic Team during the 2023-24 school year.
 
BLOCK PARTY: Last season the Bears out blocked 20 of their 29 opponents. Morgan State would lead the MEAC and finished the 2024 campaign ranked 95th in the nation among NCAA Division I teams in blocks with 260.5. Jada Williams also led the MEAC in blocks with 118.
 
LET'S GO FIVE: Last season Morgan State played in 10 five-set matches, following its 3-2 loss to Coppin State in the quarterfinal round of the MEAC Tournament (11/22). Earlier in the season the Bears played in back-to-back five-set contests during the Penn Invitational (9/13-14). Morgan lost to Le Moyne in five sets 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. 
2024 Five-Set Matches
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
At North Carolina Central (11/1), L 2-3
Vs. Coppin State (11/22), L 2-3
 
 
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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.