Dover, Del. (Sep. 23. 2021) --- The red-hot Delaware State volleyball team begins Mid-Eastern Athletic play with a Friday (Sep. 24) match at home against Howard. Start time is set for 6:00 p.m. in Memorial Hall.
The Hornets have been a big story in the MEAC this season, posting a league-best 12-1 overall record during the non-conference portion of the schedule.
DSU has won its last eight matches, including seven by 3-0 scores. The team record for consecutive wins is nine by the Hornets' 1986 MEAC championship squad.
Delaware State has 10 shutout victories and won 37 of 43 sets played this season.
Howard opened the 2021 season with wins over George Washington (3-0) and Georgetown (3-1), but has dropped nine of its last 10 matches to stand at 3-9 this year.
The Bison were picked to finish second behind Coppin State in the 2021 MEAC preseason poll. Delaware State was ranked third in the poll.
Howard won five consecutive MEAC volleyball championships from 2015 to 2019.
The Hornets and Bison competed three times during the 2020 season, which was played this past spring. Delaware State swept the three contests, winning two at Howard and once at home.
The Hornets are dominating the MEAC statistical charts so far this season.
DSU leads the league in hitting percentage (.254), opponents hitting percentage (.101), assists (13.1 per set), kills (13.95 per set), blocks (2.21 per set) and service aces (2.33 per set).
Nationally, the Hornets are third among all NCAA Division I schools in aces, 11^th in assists, 22^nd in kills per set and 49^th in hitting percentage.
Delaware State's .923 win percentage is also tied for 11^th in Division I this season.
DSU's Adriana Rodriguez is No. 1 in the MEAC and ninth among all NCAA Division I players with a .455 hitting percentage this season. Rodriguez has 82 kills and just 17 errors on 143 attacks this year.
Delaware State's Alondra Maldonado is third in the MEAC with a .336 hitting percentage and second in the league in kills at 3.29 per set.
DSU's Malgorzata Andersohn and Kristi Gomez are 1-2 in the MEAC in service aces. Andersohn is averaging 0.86 aces per set (25 total) to also lead all Division I players, while Gomez is second in the MEAC and 10^th nationally at 0.63 aces per set, although she leads the league with 27 total.
 Delaware State also features the MEAC's top blocker in Sydney Lewis, who averages 1.27 blocks per set and a league-high 52 total.
Maldonado is fifth in the MEAC in blocks (0.90 per set), while teammate Jasmal Cruz ranks fifth in the conference at 3.82 digs per set.