NORFOLK, Va. – The postseason has arrived for Norfolk State volleyball. The Spartans, seeded fourth, open the MEAC Tournament with a quarterfinal matchup against fifth-seed Maryland Eastern Shore at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.
 
The entire tournament, spanning from Friday to Sunday, will take place in Dover, Del. at Delaware State's Memorial Hall Gym. The semifinals are set to start at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, with the championship match airing on ESPNU at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.
 
Norfolk State enters the 2022 MEAC Tournament with a 7-7 conference record and a 7-17 overall mark. The seven conference wins are the program's most since 2013.
 
Season Series
 
Norfolk State will not have an easy first test by any means, but the Spartans have fared well against Maryland Eastern Shore this year. The Spartans and Hawks faced each other twice during the regular season, with NSU coming away with thrilling five-set victories both times.
 
Trailing 2-0 in the first meeting of the series, Norfolk State stormed back to win the final three sets at Gill Gymnasium and secure its first win of the 2022 season. Carla Hernandez led the Spartans with a 12-kill, 10-dig double-double, while Paola Maradei protected the net with a career-best eight blocks.
 
When the teams clashed in Princess Anne, Md., NSU withheld the Hawks' comeback attempt, escaping with another 3-2 win. Paola Matos led the Spartans with 11 kills and Shonte Seale followed closely behind with 10.
 
Spartans in the MEAC
 
Several Spartans ranked in the top 10 of MEAC statistical categories during the regular season.
 
Seale ranked fourth in the conference with 2.70 kills per set, while Hernandez ranked eights with 2.59 per set. Freshman setter Sydnee McCree ranked third in assists per set (7.19) and fifth in service aces per set (0.44), while libero Nicole Rodriguez stands fourth at 3.64 digs per set.
 
Norfolk State's middle blockers have stifled opponents all season at the net. Adlene Jideofor (0.73) and Paola Maradei (0.70) rank sixth and seventh in the MEAC, respectively, in blocks per set.
 
Trio of Postseason MEAC Honors
 
Seale, Hernandez and McCree received MEAC Postseason Honors on Tuesday, marking the first time in program history that three Norfolk State volleyball players earned postseason conference accolades in a single season.
 
Seale and Hernandez were both named to the All-MEAC Second Team, the first All-MEAC selections in their respective college careers. McCree received an All-Rookie Team nod, the third consecutive season a Spartan has been selected to the team.
 
All-Academic Spartans
 
NSU placed eight players on the MEAC Volleyball All-Academic Team, the conference announced Tuesday. MEAC sophomore, junior and senior student-athletes with a 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average, as well as transfer student-athletes who have been in residence at the institution for at least one year, are eligible for All-Academic accolades.
 
Only two schools (Howard and Morgan State) had more players selected to the All-Academic Team than the Spartans. NSU's honorees were:
 
Myleah Carter
Alondra Hernandez
Kylah Hunter
Adlene Jideofor
Calyce Jones
Siera Jones
Nicole Rodriguez
Shonte Seale