NORFOLK, Va. (August 18, 2026)--The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) released its preseason volleyball poll on Tuesday and Morgan State was picked to finish fourth as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports Information directors.
 
Defending champion Coppin State received seven first-place votes and finished with 92 points to be picked as the MEAC preseason favorite. 
 
Coco Figueroa of Coppin State was selected as the MEAC Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year.
 
All awards were voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
 
Howard earned two first-place votes and 85 points for second place, while Delaware State was third with two first-place votes and 72 points, followed by Morgan State (68 points) and Maryland Eastern Shore (59 points), who were picked fourth and fifth.
 
Norfolk State, secured the final two first-place votes, and was selected sixth with 41 points. North Carolina Central (37 points) and South Carolina State (23 points), were selected to finish seventh and eighth, respectively to round out the predicted order of finish.
 
Last season the Bears were picked to finish sixth and concluded the 2025 campaign with a 11-14 overall mark and finished third with an 8-6 record in MEAC play.
 
The Bears concluded the 2025 season with the most overall wins, MEAC wins and highest league finish since 2019.
 
Morgan State opens the season on the road in Bethlehem, Pa., on Friday, Aug. 28 against Cleveland State in the opener of the Steel Classic (Aug. 28-29), hosted by Lehigh.
 
The 2026 MEAC slate gets underway on Friday, Sept. 25 when Morgan State visits Norfolk State. The Bears' annual homecoming match this season will take place on Friday, Oct. 9 when they entertain Delaware State.
 
The MEAC Volleyball Championship will take place on Nov. 20-22 in Baltimore, Md. at Coppin State's Physical Education Complex, where all eight teams will complete for the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.
 
The MEAC Strategic Communications office contributed to this release.
 
 
2026 MEAC Volleyball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish
(first-place votes in parenthesis)
 
School
1. Coppin State (7), 92 pts.
2. Howard (2), 85 pts.
3. Delaware State (2), 72 pts.
4. Morgan State, 68 pts.
5. Maryland Eastern Shore, 59 pts.
6 Norfolk State (2), 41 pts.
7. North Carolina Central, 37 pts.
8. South Carolina State, 14 pts.
 
2026 All-MEAC Preseason Team
Name, Cl., Poss., School
Coco Figueroa, Senior, Libero, Coppin State
Cherisse Atilano, Sophomore, Outside Hitter, Coppin State
Zenai Jethroe, Senior, Middle Blocker, Howard
Gabrielle Gilbert, Senior, Outside/Opposite, Norfolk State
Kayden Cupid, Junior, Middle Hitter, Coppin State
Alexys James, Sophomore, Setter, Howard
Kaitlynn Robinson, Senior, Middle Blocker, Howard
 
ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master's degree, doctorate and certificate programs. 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.