Match 13 (MEAC Opener)
Morgan State (1-11, 0-0 MEAC) at Norfolk State (3-9, 0-0 MEAC)
Date: Friday, Sept. 25, 2026
Site: Norfolk, Va. (Gill Gymnasium)
Serve: 6 p.m.
Series Record: MSU leads, 26-14
TV: MEAC Network
Live Stats: Here
Websites: MorganStateBears.com | nsuspartans.com

BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 23, 2026)--The Bears will look to get on track this end when they travel to Virginia's Tidewater area to take on Norfolk State on Friday evening in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener both teams. First serve is at 6 p.m. at Gill Gymnasium and will air live on the MEAC Network.
 
Morgan State (1-11) is coming off three losses over the weekend in the Bobcat Invitational (Sept. 18-19) in Athens, Ohio. The Bears dropped the opener to host Ohio in four sets, fell to Mercyhurst in three, and took UNC Asheville to four sets before falling to conclude their non-conference schedule.
 
"We had a tough non-conference schedule. There were a couple of matches in there I think we probably should have taken and had not really come out the way result-wise that we wanted," said Morgan State head coach Xiomara Ortiz. "But we're excited that we have some players that are rising to new roles."
 
Of those players who have changed from their normal positions are seniors Jada Williams and Michaela Panekova, along with the steady play sophomore Isabelle Brown.
 
Williams, who has been a constant force for the Bears as a middle blocker, has had to learn a new position this season after being moved to the right side hitter position, while Panekova has changed from playing on the right side to now playing as the outside hitter.
 
"Jada Williams being on the right side, has helped us. We're still trying to navigate how we can continue to keep her blocking presence the same as we know that she's such a great force as a middle blocker," said Ortiz. "But the fact that she can rise to become now our leading scorer is pivotal for our success as we go into the MEAC."
 
"And I love the fact that Michaela Panekova is also someone that has some sixth rotation ability," said Ortiz. "She also has transitioned to a new position in being an outside here. She was a right side at her former institution."
 
As for her floor general who keeps everything together, Ortiz stated, "I think Belle has been a really steady hand for us. Getting [MEAC] Setter of the Week twice, even though we've unfortunately haven't had some of the wins that we wanted, continues to prove why she's great at what she does. She continues to put us in great offensive opportunities; she hustles a lot and she can still be an offensive force at the net, even when she's, some may say, undersized.
 
"So, we've been able to put her and our team against, high-quality performers and some of these opponents are really testing us," added Ortiz. "But I think that our strength of non-conference schedule will really set the bar for how we need to perform consistently in the MEAC."
 
Norfolk State (3-9) enters Friday's MEAC home opener riding a three-match losing skid, following three losses last weekend at the Radford Tournament. The Spartans dropped a four-set decision to Bellarmine in the opener, before being swept by host Radford that evening to close out Day 1. Norfolk State then closed out the tournament with a tough five-set loss to UT Chattanooga.
 
"They have definitely risen from last year's season and continue to have a huge force in Gabby (Gabrielle) Gilbert," said Ortiz when speaking on this year's Norfolk State squad. "Trying to stop her will be important to us. But we have to play Morgan State volleyball at the end of the day. I think our strengths and what we bring on a consistent basis could still beat any team in the MEAC. And it's just about us showing up on that day to be able to compete really hard against them."
 
Morgan State heads into Norfolk, Va. holding a 26-14 all-time series lead against the Spartans. The two teams split last season's series, each winning on their own home court. The Bears loss last season in Gill Gymnasium gave the Spartans their first MEAC win of the season in eight attempts and was also the sixth straight loss for Morgan State on Norfolk State's court.
 
"I mean, they have kind of their atmosphere and their environment, and their gym is definitely their home court advantage," said Ortiz of Norfolk State's Gill Gymnasium. "It's a great crowd. They are very enthusiastic as a team when they're home. And so, we have to actually practice that environment. We're trying to put some noise makers and, you know, some music and crowd noise in our practice setting, so our team can be aware of the environment they're going to get into."
 
Despite being in her first year at Morgan State, Kira DeVrieze is quite familiar with the MEAC, as well as Norfolk State. The sophomore defensive specialist spent her freshman campaign at league foe, Delaware State last season and recalls her experience playing in Gill Gymnasium.
 
"I remember Gill Gymnasium being a pretty fiery environment. They had a great crowd and brought a lot of energy, so I'm excited to compete in that type of atmosphere again," said DeVrieze. I haven't really shared my experience with our other newcomers yet, but I think they're all very prepared for the environment because they're just as fierce and competitive. I'm excited to see how we come together and compete."
  
SERIES AGAINST THE SPARTANS: Morgan State holds a 26-14 all-time series lead over Norfolk State. The Spartans, however, are winners of three of the last four meetings and have won six straight at home against the Bears. Morgan State's last victory in Norfolk, Va. came on Sept. 30, 2018, when the Bears defeated the Spartans, 3-1. It would be the 450^th coaching victory for then MSU head coach Ramona Riley-Bozier.
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State will return home for its MEAC home opener on Sunday, Sept. 26, when it hosts Beltway rival Howard at 1 p.m. at Hill Field House. The contest will air live on the MEAC Network.
 
LAST TIMEOUT: Morgan closed out the 2026 non-conference slate last weekend in Athens, Ohio against a competitive field in the Bobcat Invitational, hosted by Ohio University. The Bears began the tournament taking the opening set from the host and eventual tournament champion Bobcats and concluded the weekend also claiming the opening set against UNC Asheville in the finale. Morgan State was paced by Jada Williams, who finished with a team-high 14 kills, a match-high three service aces and added eight digs and four blocks. Isabelle Brown added a match-best 28 assists to go with eight digs, an ace and a block. Brown also hit for a team-high .444 with five kills. Kira DeVrieze led the Bears with nine digs against UNC Asheville.
 
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.
 
VIRGINIA HOMECOMING FOR WILLIAMS, WEEMS: Fellow four-year members, seniors Jada Williams and Tyrah Weems will return home to the Commonwealth of Virginia when Morgan State beings the MEAC season on the road in Norfolk, Va., to take on the Norfolk State Spartans. Williams is a native of Fredericksburg, while Weems is from Hampton Roads.
 
BROWN EARNS SECOND MEAC SETTER OF THE WEEK: Isabelle Brown was named MEAC Setter of the Week (9/21). It was her second weekly honor this season and the fourth overall for Brown. A native of Avon, Ind., Brown averaged 7.2 assists and 2.4 digs per set for the week. She started all 11 sets recording 79 assists, 26 digs, nine kills, four service aces and two blocks, including one solo block.
 
BROWN NAMED TO BOBCAT INVITATIONAL TEAM: Sophomore setter Isabelle Brown was named to the Bobcat Invitational All-Tournament Team (9/19). Brown began the week collecting 25 assists, three service aces, eight digs and a solo block in four sets against host Ohio in the tournament opener. She then recorded a double-double with 26 assists, 10 digs and hit .600 with three kills against Mercyhurst.
 
WILLIAMS MOVES INTO FOURTH IN BLOCKS AT MORGAN: Senior middle blocker/outside hitter Jada Williams tallied three blocks, including two solo against George Mason (9/12) to give her 314 career blocks, moving her past Tiffany Pickens (312 from 1995-98) for fourth place on the Morgan State career chart. Williams, who currently has 321 blocks, is now 63 blocks shy of passing former Lady Bear, Destiny Sisk (383 blocks from 1999-01) for third place.
 
TRACKING BROWN: Sophomore setter Isabelle Brown recorded 28 assists in the match against UNC Asheville (9/19), giving her 905 for her career. Brown is now 95 assists shy of reaching the 1,000-assists plateau.
 
BROWN NAMED MEAC SETTER OF THE WEEK: Isabelle Brown was named MEAC Setter of the Week (9/7). It was the first weekly honor this season and the third overall for Brown, who also received the honor twice last season as a freshman. A native of Avon, Ind., Brown averaged 6.8 assists and 1.9 digs for the week, while totaling 82 assists, 23 digs, 10 kills and a solo block in three matches. Brown began the week with a match-high 31 assists, five kills, two service aces and a block against Saint Peter's (9/4) to help Morgan earn its first win of the season. A day later Brown followed up with a double-double, collecting 30 assists and 12 digs against Loyola Maryland (9/5), before concluding the week with a match-high 21 assists, six digs, two aces and a kill against Towson (9/6).
 
WILLIAMS REACHES 500 KILLS: Jada Williams recorded 10 kills against rival Towson (9/6) to put her past 500 kills for her career with 502. Williams' eighth kill of the match, brought Morgan within a point at 12-11 in the third set, giving her 500 for her career. The 6-foot-2 middle blocker turn outside hitter, currently has 543 career kills.
 
BEARS EARN BACK-TO-BACK HOME OPENING WINS: Morgan State improved to 7-11 in home openers since the 2010 season, following its 3-1 victory over Saint Peter's (9/4) at Hill Field House. It was the Bears' second consecutive home opening win and the first this season. Last season, Morgan State also won its home opener, 3-1, defeating Quinnipiac (9/5). 
 
PANEKOVA NAMED TO STEEL CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Morgan State senior Michaela Panekova was named to the Steel Classic All-Tournament Team (8/29). A native of Zilina, Slovakia, Panekova played in all three matches, posting a team-high 22 kills, nine digs, five blocks and an assist in nine set over the weekend. Panekova had her best outing against the host Mountain Hawks (8/29), recording nine kills and four digs, both season highs, along with a block.
 
OPENING SERVE: Morgan State dropped to 10-24 in season openers since the 1993 season, following this year's season opening 3-0 loss to Cleveland State (8/28) in the opener of the Steel Classic hosted by Lehigh.
 
WILLIAMS REACHES 300 BLOCKS: Jada Williams, who entered the season ranked fifth all-time at Morgan State with 291 career blocks, recorded a total of nine kills during the season opening weekend in the Steel Classic (8/28-29). Williams recorded three blocks in the finale against host Lehigh, giving her 300 blocks for her career.
 
COACH ORTIZ RETURNS TO LEHIGH: Morgan State head coach Xiomara Ortiz spent four seasons at Lehigh University as the primary assistant coach for coaches Alexa Keckler (2018-20) and Bob Bertucci (2017), as a defensive and libero coach with the Mountain Hawks. Ortiz, who also served as Lehigh's recruiting coordinator – serving as the school's first contact with prospects and club directors. Her national recruiting efforts resulted in 11 new commits to the Mountain Hawks over a two-year span. While at Lehigh, Ortiz was also an advisor to Lehigh's Student-Athletes of Color (SAOC) leadership group.
 
MORGAN PICKED FOURTH IN MEAC PRESEASON POLL: Morgan State was picked to finish fourth 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 sixth and ended the season in third place, their highest league finish since the 2019 campaign.
 
LOOKING TO STAY UNBEATEN: Morgan will look to add to its perfect 3-0 record and remain unbeaten against Gardner-Webb. The two teams will meet on Day 2 of this week's Lehigh Steel Classic on Saturday, Aug. 29 in Bethlehem, Pa. The Bulldogs are the lone team on the schedule this season that Morgan State has previously played and never lost to.
 
WILLIAMS, WARDLAW NAMED AS LEADERS: Senior Jada Williams and sophomore Tameary Wardlaw have been named as this season's leadership council. Williams, who enters her fourth season at Morgan State, was named to the 2025 All-MEAC first team after leading the MEAC in attack percentage (.348) and finishing fifth in blocks with 79. A native of Fredericksburg, Va., she currently ranks fifth all-time on the Morgan charts with 286 career blocks. A native of Miami, Fla., Wardlaw averaged a team-leading 2.08 digs per set, finishing with 193 digs, 46 assists, 10 service aces and three kills last season.
 
TOURNAMENT EXPOSURE: The Bears will take part in three regular season tournaments this year. Following this weekend's Lehigh Steel Classic, the Bears will host the Battle of Beltway (Sept. 11-13). Morgan State will conclude its non-conference slate with a trip to Athens, Ohio to compete in the Bobcat Invitational (Sept. 18-19) hosted by Ohio University.
 
SOMEONE NEW: Morgan State will square off against two first-time opponents this season, when the Bears face host Ohio (9/18) and Mercyhurst (9/18) in the Bobcat Invitational (Sept. 18-19) in Athens, Ohio.
 
WEEMS NAMED SEMIFINALIST ARTHUR ASHE FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Senior Tyrah Weems was a semifinalist for the 2026 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars Female Athlete of the Year. Students named Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars must maintain at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average, be at least a sophomore academically and participate in community service. Over 900 scholar-athletes were nominated.
 
MSU WINS 2026 DITSALA CUP: Seven members of the Bears' volleyball team (Tameary Wardlaw, Hanna Nemeth, Jada Williams, Isabelle Brown, Daniela Ferreira, Aubrey Wilson and Tyrah Weems), along with head coach Xiomara Ortiz, represented Morgan State and the MEAC this summer participating in the third annual Ditsala International Cup in Botswana (June 1-13). The premier women's volleyball tournament brought together collegiate student-athletes from the United States with national teams from across Southern Africa. They spent time in Botswana taking part in clinics, training sessions, community engagement and got to experience safaris and explore Southern Africa. On the court, Team Morgan would go undefeated with wins over the Botswana and Zambia National Teams, before capping it off with a thrilling five-set gold medal match victory against Team HBCU, whose roster was comprised of fellow Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) athletes and two from predominately white institutions.
  
WELCOME TO THE CAVE: Morgan State welcomes the addition of seven newcomers to the 2026 squad, three transfers: Azra Arslanoglu (Mugla, Turkey), Kira DeVrieve (Chapel Hill, N.C.), Tre'Niya Miller (Greensboro, N.C.), Nathalia Morais (Brasilia, Brazil), Michaela Panekova (Zilina, Slovakia) along with two freshmen in Bailey Swinton (Odenton, Md.) and Alaina Walker (Charlotte, N.C.).
  
2026 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.
 
WILLIAMS NAMED TO 2025 ALL-MEAC FIRST TEAM: Jada Williams led the Bears this season with an attack percentage of .350, service aces (32) and blocks (79), including 31 solo blocks. She totaled 187 kills, 48 digs and 22 assists. A native of Fredericksburg, Va., Williams would also finish the regular season leading the MEAC in attack percentage and was fifth in blocks and ninth in service aces. Williams, who currently ranks fifth all-time at Morgan State with 286 career blocks, set a career-high 10 blocks this season at Maryland Eastern Shore (11/9).
 
FERREIRA NAMED TO 2025 All-MEAC SECOND TEAM: A native of Lisbon, Portugal, Ferreira ranked sixth in the MEAC in both kills (3.02) and points (3.26) per set. She led the Bears in kills (266) and was second in service aces with 28, while recording 142 digs, 14 assists and 29 blocks. Ferreira reached double figures in kills 14 times, including setting a career-high 23 kills at Howard (9/28). Ferreira's 17^th kill in the match against Howard, gave her 1,000 kills for her collegiate career.
 
BROWN NAMED TO 2025 MEAC ALL-ROOKIE TEAM: Brown assumed the setting duties and totaled 595 assists, which was third in the MEAC. A two-time MEAC Setter of the Week selection, Brown averaged 7.26 assists and 1.89 digs per set. The Avon, Ind. native, hit .250 with 44 kills, was third on the team in digs with 155 and totaled 23 service aces and 21 blocks. Brown produced three double-doubles and reached double figures in assists in 21 of the 24 matches she played, including a season-best 49 assists against Southern (8/30).
 
FERREIRA NAMED TO 2025 MEAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Daniela Ferreira concluded her career at Moran State being named to the All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament Team. It was the second consecutive season she earned the honor. With her 2024 selection, 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 match-high 13 kills, eight digs, two assists, a block and an ace in Morgan State's quarterfinal loss to Maryland Eastern Shore (11/20).
 
EIGHT NAMED TO MEAC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM: Morgan State had eight players (Jada Williams, Mya Karrick, Hannah Chappelle, Daniela Ferreira, Tyrah Weems, Mikaela Esparza, Selah Brashear and Aubrey Wilson named to the MEAC Volleyball All-Academic Team during the 2025-26 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 went the distance in five matches, recording a 2-3 mark. The previous season, the Bears played in 10 five-set matches during the 2024 campaign, winning only two of them.
 
 
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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.