Dover, Del. (Nov. 11, 2021) --- The Delaware State women's volleyball team looks to claim at least a share of the 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season championship when it takes on Maryland-Eastern Shore in the Hornets' regular season finale in Princess Anne, Md., Friday evening.
A win over the Hawks would give DSU at least a share of the MEAC regular season title for the first time since 1987. The Hornets are currently tied with Howard for first place in the MEAC standings at 11-2 entering this final weekend of competition.  Howard visits Norfolk State for its last conference match of the season on Sunday (Nov. 13).
Delaware State is also seeking to set a school wins record. The Hornets, 23-3 overall, have tied the team record for wins in a season first set by the 1987 squad (23-6).
The wins record would add to the Hornets' impressive list of achievements this season.
Delaware State set a new team record with 16 consecutive wins from Sep. 4 to Oct. 26, tops in the MEAC and third among all NCAA Div. I teams at one point this season.
DSU posted a perfect record at home for the first time in team history (13-0), winning 39 of 40 sets played in Memorial Hall this season.
The Hornets have also set new team records with 19 total shutouts, including streaks of seven and six   consecutive wins by 3-0 scores.
Delaware State is 12-1 vs. non-MEAC opponents this season, the best such mark in team history.
Statistically, the Hornets have dominated this year's MEAC rankings in addition to several top 40 placements among all NCAA Div. I teams.
DSU is tops in the MEAC in Hitting Percentage (.256), Opponent Hitting Percentage (.120), Assists (12.99 per set) and Kills (13.92 per set), and second in blocks (2.05 per set) and aces (2.18 per set).
Delaware State's .885 win-loss percentage is ninth in Div. I, while the Hornets are No. 2 in Opponent Hitting Percentage, No. 3 in aces, 17^th in assists, 24^th in kills and 39^th in Hitting Percentage in the national rankings.
DSU's Malgorzata Andersohn (jr.) is the MEAC leader and fifth among all Division I players in aces at 0.63 per set (46 total), while teammate Kristi Gomez (sr.) in No. 4 in the MEAC in aces and 24^th in the nation.
Andersohn is also fifth in the MEAC in assists at 6.56 per set (479 total).
Hornet middle blocker Alondra Maldonado (so.) is making a strong case for MEAC Player of the Year, ranking second in the league in kills at 3.23 per set and leads the Hornets with 265 total kills. Maldonado is also third in the league with a .324 hitting percentage, tallying 265 kills and 79 errors on 574 attacks this season.
In addition, she's the MEAC's seventh-best blocker at 0.79 per set (79 total).
DSU's Sydney Lewis (jr.) is No. 2 in the MEAC with a .338 hitting percentage and also second in the league in blocks at 1.04 per set (74 total).
Hornet primary libero Jasmal Cruz (jr.) is fourth in the MEAC in digs at 4.12 per set, while outside hitter Valeria Otero (so.) ranks ninth in the conference at 2.55 kills per set (212 total).
If Delaware State and Howard are tied for the MEAC lead at the end of the regular season, the teams will each be declared regular season champs.  Tie-breaker rules will determine which team is the No. 1 seed in the MEAC Tournament next week (Nov. 19-21) in Washington, D.C.
The winner of the MEAC Tournament receives the league's automatic bid the NCAA championship tournament.