NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State volleyball team will host a pair of foes this weekend, including Hampton in the Battle of the Bay, as the Spartans look to break a losing streak with conference season nearly half done.
 
It starts this Friday with the first Battle of the Bay. NSU takes on Hampton at 6 p.m. at Gill Gymnasium, a match that will mark the halfway point of MEAC play for Norfolk State. The Spartans will make the return trip to Hampton in November.
 
Then on Sunday, after having faced all six Northern Division opponents once, the Spartans take on Delaware State to start the second half of conference play. That contest, also set for Gill Gymnasium, will begin at 3 p.m. Norfolk State plays every team home and away during the official MEAC season.
 
Both live stats and live video for both matches this weekend will be available through the NSU website.
 
Norfolk State is looking to break an eight-match losing streak and pick up its first win since defeating Savannah State on Sept. 22. The Spartans own a 3-16 overall record and a 0-5 MEAC mark.
 
Opponent Capsules
Hampton owns an 8-13 overall mark and a 3-2 conference record heading into Thursday night's match at home against Maryland Eastern Shore. The Pirates fell to the Hawks earlier this month and dropped a contest at Howard as they have lined themselves into third place in the North in the early going.
 
Reeana Richardson (3.06 kills per set) and Lena Washington (2.40) have been catalysts on offense for the Pirates. Kyndall Nicholas ranks third on the team in kills (1.84) but also leads the way on defense with 1.02 blocks per set. Maja Petronijevic (3.12 digs) and Washington (2.10) anchor the backcourt defense.
 
Delaware State stands 2-3 in the league and 2-19 overall after defeating Coppin State on the road on Wednesday. DSU's first win of the year came over NSU earlier this month.
 
Sabina Szmajduch tallies a team-best 2.51 kills, and Sydney Armbrister also chips in with 1.78 while Gabriella Enriquez (6.58 assists) directs the offense. Names to look out for on defense include Kiera Holtzclaw (0.66 blocks) and Alliyah McBean (3.63 digs).
 
More MEAC Standings
Maryland Eastern Shore has the early edge in the North, standing 5-0 after defeating Howard 3-2 in late September. The Bison, meanwhile, are 5-1 in what is shaping up to be a two-horse race for the regular season title.
 
Hampton (3-2) is next in line, with Morgan State and Delaware State (2-3) each laying claim to fourth place. Coppin State stands 1-4 and is currently on the outside looking in when it comes to the MEAC tournament. Only the top four teams from each division advance.
 
The South is quickly rounding into shape, with Bethune-Cookman (5-0), Florida A&M (4-1), North Carolina A&T (3-2) and North Carolina Central (3-3) all looking like they will finish in the top 4 in some order. Savannah State (1-5) and South Carolina State (0-5) have fallen behind the pack.
 
MEAC Rankings
NSU's best category continues to be service aces, where the Spartans rank third with an average of 1.39 per set. They also sit eighth in several other categories (opponent hitting percentage, .212; assists, 9.20; kills, 9.80; blocks, 1.46; and digs, 11.90) as well as ninth in hitting percentage at .106.
 
On an individual basis, Melvina Brown ranks fourth in digs (3.73) and seventh in service aces (0.37), and Clarke Tyler stands 10^th in hitting percentage (.242). Brown also sits 94^th in the nation in service aces.
 
Records Update
Tyler now ranks third in NSU annals in block assists with 136, needing eight to tie for second all-time. She also stands eighth in total blocks (166), 10^th in kills (541), 13^th in attacks (1,516) and hitting percentage (.185), and 14^th in matches played (94).
 
Recent History
The Spartans won both matches last year against Hampton, knocking the Pirates out of the MEAC tournament. NSU has won three in a row overall against them after Hampton had taken the previous five matches before that. The Pirates lead the all-time series, 48-13.
 
Delaware State won the first matchup this season in Dover by a 3-2 score on Oct. 8. That broke a five-match winning streak for NSU in the series and ended a stretch in which the Spartans had won nine of the previous 10 matchups. DSU does lead the all-time series, 15-21.
 
Up Next
NSU travels to Baltimore to face Coppin State and Morgan State next weekend.