Dover, Del. (Aug. 29, 2019) – A new era in Delaware State women's volleyball begins this weekend. The new-look Hornets, under first-year head coach Dr. Bruce Atkinson, open the 2019 season at the Alabama State University Tournament. DSU will two play matches on Friday (Aug. 30), vs. Alabama A&M and Jackson State; and close tourney with Saturday (Aug. 31) contests against Texas Southern and Alabama State.
Atkinson was appointed to lead the Hornets' volleyball program on Feb. 11, 2019.
His 11-year career as a college head coach is highlighted by a 217-116 overall record (.652 win percentage), multiple conference championships, five Coach-of-the-Year awards and six 20-win seasons. Atkinson most recently served as head women's volleyball coach at Winthrop (S.C.) University from 2013 to 2018. His 98 wins at Winthrop are third-most in the 32-year history of the program.
From 2010 to 2013, Atkinson was head women's volleyball coach at Towson University in Maryland. In 2012, he led the Tigers to the Colonial Athletic Association championship and a 25-4 overall record, including a 12-0 mark in conference regular season matches. He earned two CAA Coach-of-the-Year awards (2011, 2012) while at Towson.
Prior to his tenure at Towson, Atkinson was head women's volleyball coach at the University of Hawaii at Hilo from 2007 to 2010. In three seasons, he was Pacific West Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 2009 and '09, and led the Vulcans at a 69-13 overall record (.812), including a 39-5 mark in conference play (.872).
Atkinson is hoping to turn around a Hornet volleyball program that was 2-27 overall and winless in 10 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matches during the 2018 campaign. In the last six seasons, DSU has a 12-153 won-loss record (6-64 MEAC) and failed to qualify for the conference championship tournament since 2010.
Delaware State has almost an entirely new roster from last season. Just three of the 16 players on the squad competed for the blue and red in 2018.
One of the returners, Mayah Ngundam (jr.; OH), was tops on the Hornets with 213 kills (2.15 per set) and second on the team with 46 blocks (0.46 p/s) as a sophomore in 2018. Ngundam also recorded 92 digs to rank fifth on the team and posted a season-high 15 kills in two matches.
Middle blocker Sydney Armbrister will compete as a graduate student for the Hornets this season. Armbrister was fifth on the Hornets with 130 kills in 2018 (1.65 per set). She ranked third on the team with 39 blocks (0.49 per set) and tied for fourth on the club with 16 aces last season.
Defensive specialist Nia Scott (so.) also returns after a strong second half of the season as a true freshman in 2018. Scott was second on the Hornets with 244 digs last season (2.46 p/s), posting double-figures in digs in 11 matches, including the last nine contests of the season. She had a season high 23 digs vs. Morgan State (Oct. 12).
Among the new faces joining the 2019 Hornets is junior college transfer setter Jelena Dukic (jr.; Futog, Serbia; Marshalltown CC). Dukic's two-year junior college statistics included 2,328 assists, 206 kills, 603 digs, 107 service aces, 109 blocks and 378.5 points.
Defensive specialist Jasmal Cruz (fr.; Trujillo Altom P.R.), along with outside hitters Ryanne Burnett (fr.; Kane'ohe, HI) and Anadys Chimelis Valentin (fr.; Vega Baja, P.R.) are also expected to see significant playing time as 2019 newcomers.
First-year middle blockers Sydney Lewis (fr.; Bowie, Md.), Erika Lindqvist (fr.; Angelholm, Sweden) and Miranda DeBeary (Fr.; Phila., Pa.) bring much needed length to the squad.
Additional newcomers include setter Freja Gortz (fr.; Sonderborg, Denmark), outside hitters Jordan Vang (fr.; Kitchener, Ontario, Can.) and Simone Newell (fr.; Atlanta, Ga.), middle blocker Dasia Wade (fr.; Baltimore, Md.), libero Merina Seldon (fr.; Columbia, Md.) and OPP Taina Leao (fr.; Hilo, HI).
The Hornets begin MEAC competition at Coppin State on Sep. 27 in Baltimore. The home opener is Oct. 4 against four-time defending conference champ Howard in Memorial Hall (6:00 p.m.).
