NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State volleyball team looks to bounce back from its first conference loss this weekend, playing one road and one home match this weekend.
 
NSU will head to the nation's capital on Friday, Oct. 13, for a 6 p.m. meeting with Howard at Burr Gymnasium. The Spartans return home on Sunday, Oct. 15 to battle Morgan State, a postponed matchup originally scheduled for Oct. 8. First serve is set for 2 p.m. at Gill Gymnasium.
 

Matches 13-14: MEAC Road & Home Action
Coverage	Oct. 13 | at Howard | 6:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch  Oct. 15 | vs. Morgan State | 2:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
Venue	Burr Gymnasium (Washington, D.C.) | Gill Gymnasium (Norfolk, VA)  (All 2023 volleyball regular-season matches are free of charge to the public. Seating is 1st come, 1st served.)
Social Media	Twitter | Instagram | #GoldStandard #BEHOLD #AllIn

Norfolk State Notes
 
The Spartans head into this weekend with a 5-7 overall record, 4-1 in the MEAC. Coppin State gave NSU its first loss of conference play, but the Spartans remain in sole possession of second place in the MEAC standings.
 
Gabrielle Gilbert (3.37) and Shonte Seale (3.16) sit fourth and fifth in the MEAC, respectively, in kills per set. Sydney McCree ranks third in assists per set (8.35), and ninth in service aces per set (0.33).
 
Howard Notes
 
Howard (7-11, 3-2 MEAC) look to tie NSU in the conference standings on Friday, coming off a non-conference loss to High Point on Tuesday evening. Although the Bison's three MEAC wins came as 3-0 sweeps, they were swept in both their losses as well.
 
The Bison are led by defending MEAC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year Rya McKinnon. The 5-11 sophomore averages a league-best 3.76 kills per set, on a .201 hitting percentage.
 
Morgan State Notes
 
Morgan State (6-13, 1-3 MEAC) started conference play with three consecutive losses but picked up a road victory at South Carolina State to get back in the win column. The team is led by second-year head coach Xiomara Ortiz, a former standout player at Binghamton.
 
The Bears poise the greatest threat on serve and at the net. Ainara Fernandes leads the MEAC with 0.57 service aces per set, while Jada Williams leads the conference with 1.05 blocks per set.

For complete coverage of Norfolk State athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @NSUSpartans (Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.