NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State volleyball team returns to Gill Gymnasium this weekend for the final stretch of a three-match homestand. The Spartans will host a pair of traveling teams from Baltimore, Md., concluding their regular season series with each.
 
Norfolk State (5-13, 5-3 MEAC) looks for revenge against Coppin State (17-8, 8-1) on Friday at 6 p.m. after falling 3-0 to the Eagles on the road. The Spartans then prepare for a Senior Day showdown with Morgan State (3-20, 2-7) at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
 
Senior Spotlight
NSU will honor five seniors prior to Sunday's match: Nicole Rodriguez, Paola Maradei, Carla Hernandez, Siera Jones, and Myleah Carter.

• Nicole Rodriguez – After spending her first two seasons at Daytona State College, Rodriguez has etched herself into the Norfolk State record books during her three seasons at Norfolk State. During the COVID-shortened 2020 season, the libero averaged 4.62 digs per set, ranking second in the MEAC and 80^th in the nation. She earned All-MEAC Second Team and VaSID All-State First Team honors in 2021 after being named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week twice. This season, Rodriguez ranks fourth in the MEAC with a team-best 3.69 digs per set and currently sits fifth in Norfolk State history with 773 career digs. Rodriguez is a psychology major, landing on the AD's Honor Roll four times.
• Paola Maradei – Maradei came to Norfolk State after two years at Trinidad State Junior College, immediately making an impact both on and off the court at NSU. She posted a team-best .207 hitting percentage as a junior, ranking sixth in the MEAC in blocks per set (0.87).  This season, Maradei set career highs with eight kills against The Citadel and eight blocks against UMES, currently ranking ninth in the MEAC in blocks per set. Majoring in health service management, she has been named to the AD's Honor Roll four times and has served on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
• Carla Hernandez – Hernandez has spent just one season with NSU and has made the most of it. The Daytona State product reunited with her former teammate Rodriguez this year, joining her friend in the starting lineup. Hernandez's 2.37 kills per set this season ranks second on the team and 10^th in the conference at the moment, and her 22-kill performance against N.C. Central is the highest mark from any MEAC player this year.  She has posted two double-doubles this season, averaging 2.02 digs per set. Hernandez is earning a Masters in Healthcare Administration with plans of becoming a doctor one day.
• Siera Jones – One of two players in the class to start and finish her career in the Green and Gold, Jones has shined both on and off the court throughout her four years at NSU. Jones has played in 31 matches during her career, displaying her serving prowess with a career-high three service aces against Morgan State last year. Across four seasons and 68 sets played, Jones has allowed just one career receiving error. A mass communications major, she has been named to the AD's Honor Roll six times, VaSID Academic All-State Team twice, and received NSU's Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in both 2020 and 2021 for earning the highest GPA in the department. She is a member of SAAC and Executive Editor of the school's student newspaper, The Spartan Echo.
• Myleah Carter – Carter came to Norfolk State in 2019 with Jones, playing in 64 matches and 213 sets as a Spartan over the past four years. As a freshman, Carter was the only player on the team to appear in all 86 sets, leading the team and ranking 10^th in the MEAC with 3.35 digs per set. She posted a career-high 22 digs at Florida A&M. This year, Carter has recorded 40 digs and even added nine kills off back-line attacks. Majoring in business with a concentration in finance, she hopes to become a real estate agent and personal financial advisor. She has been named to the AD's Honor Roll six times, and is also a member of SAAC)

 
Last Time Out
 
Delaware State halted Norfolk State's two-match winning streak on Sunday, defeating the Spartans 3-1 in Norfolk. The Hornets' defense held NSU to a .113 hitting percentage, helping DSU avenge the Spartans' 3-0 sweep in Dover, Del.
 
Carla Hernandez, while recording her 1,000^th career kill, racked up a team-high 15 kills on 48 attempts. Alondra Hernandez led the back line with a career-best 15 digs, while freshman setter Sydney McCree made up 28 of NSU's 33 assists.
 
Scouting the Eagles / Hornets
 
After a slow start to their September slate, Coppin State has won 15 of their last 17 matches, establishing itself as the team to beat in the MEAC. The Eagles' only conference loss so far came at defending MEAC champion Howard, falling 3-1 in Washington, D.C.
 
Coppin State's Miajavon leads the MEAC with 2.73 kills per set, with NSU's Shonte Seale (2.65) not far behind. Andrea Tsvetanova also tops the MEAC in service aces per set (0.81), helping the Eagles procure crucial runs on her serve.
 
After falling into a six-match losing streak, Morgan State got back in the win column on Sunday with a 3-1 victory at South Carolina State. The Bears are led by Makila Billingsley and Madison Grace, averaging 2.27 and 2.08 kills per set, respectively.