DOVER, Del. --- The Delaware State women's volleyball team will host the Bison of Howard University and pay a visit to the Spartans of Norfolk State University in this weekend's slate of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) matchups.
 
Up first will be an attempt to complete the regular season sweep of the 2021 MEAC Tournament Champion Howard Bison as Delaware State claimed the first meeting of 2022 with a 3-1 win to open up conference competition.
 
The outside hitting duo of Karen Cordero and Valeria Otero led that game with 14 points each. Cordero had a team-high 13 kills and one service ace while Otero recorded 12 kills, a pair of assisted blocks and one service ace.  
 
Cordero and Otero have been two of Delaware State's top producers offensively entering this weekend's slate of matches. As the team's total points leader (215.0), Cordero has been scoring 3.12 points per set by way of 173 kills, 34 service aces and 12 total blocks. Otero with 157 kills thus far, has been landing 2.57 kills per set. With 153 digs in 2022, she's digging her team out of opposition attack attempts 2.13 times per set.
 
Middle blockers Sydney Lewis and Alondra Maldonado continue to be effective on both sides of the ball. Lewis, one of the top two-way players in the MEAC, continues to lead the league in both blocks (total and per set average) as well as hitting percentage. Maldonado, the team's total kills leader (187), has been landing an average of 2.63 kills per set both of which have her currently sitting in third place in the MEAC in said categories.
 
Howard comes into this match riding a six-game win streak since suffering its 3-1 MEAC opening loss. The Bison will look to freshman outside hitter Rya McKinnon to continue with the success she has been having during this recent stretch. McKinnon, the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, led her team in points (63) and kills (56) scoring 4.85 points per set while landing 4.31 kills per set.
 
As a team, Howard has held opponents to a .080 hitting percentage conceding 166 (8.30 kills per set average) and only allowed opponents to score 200 total points across this six-game stretch.
 
After Friday's match, Delaware State will travel to Norfolk, Virginia for a road contest against the Spartans of Norfolk State University.
 
Norfolk State snapped a six-game losing stream to Delaware State after the Spartans shutout the Hornets on home court in the first matchup of the 2022 season between these two teams.   
 
Spartan outside hitters Shone Seale and Carla Hernandez led Norfolk State to its win over Delaware State as the only members of the match to record double-digits in points and kills. Seale led the way with 15 total points behind 13 kills, one service ace and one solo block. Hernandez joined in with 12 total points after recording 11 kills and a pair of assisted blocks. As a team, Norfolk State held Delaware State to its third-lowest hitting percentage of the year (.142) only allowing 37 kills from 106 attack attempts.
 
 
With nine kills each the first time around, middle blockers Alondra Maldonado and Kelsie Dawson will look to improve upon their performances and right the wrong from earlier in the season.
 
First serve from Memorial Hall on Thursday night is currently scheduled for 6 p.m. First serve from Gill Gymnasium at Norfolk State on Sunday is currently scheduled for 3 p.m.