NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State women's volleyball team will have a chance to make history this weekend in a pair of conference matchups.
 
The Spartans (8-8, 7-2 MEAC) face Maryland Eastern Shore (12-9, 5-4) at 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27 for Alumni Day at Gill Gymnasium, before hitting the road for a matchup with Delaware State (12-11, 5-4) 3 p.m. on Oct. 29.
 
The Spartans are two victories away from their ninth MEAC win of the year, which would tie the most the team has amassed in one regular season in program history.
 

Matches 17-18: MEAC Road Action
Coverage	Oct. 27 | vs. Maryland Eastern Shore | 6:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch  Oct. 29 | at Delaware State | 3:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Watch
Venue	Gill Gymnasium (Norfolk, Va.) | Memorial Hall (Dover, Del.)  (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
 
After earning her fourth MEAC Rookie of the Week honor just seven days earlier, Gabrielle Gilbert picked up the first MEAC Player of the Week recognition of her career on Monday after two stellar performances against North Carolina Central and South Carolina State.
 
Sophomore Sydney McCree was named MEAC Setter of the Week, amassing 72 assists, 13 digs, seven service aces, and six kills across the two victories.
 
Norfolk State currently sits second in the MEAC standings, behind only Coppin State (18-3, 8-0).
 
Maryland Eastern Shore Notes
 
UMES has found its groove lately, winning four of its last five matches. The Hawks split a pair of matches last weekend, beating Morgan State in a five-set thriller before being swept by Coppin State.
 
The duo of Derionah Abner (2.70) and Ranyla Griggs (2.69) rank seventh and eighth, respectively, in the MEAC in kills per set, leading the UMES attack. Valeria Matias anchors the back line with 3.71 digs per set.
 
Delaware State Notes
 
DSU bounced back from a pair of losses with a 3-0 victory over Morgan State on Sunday, holding the Bears to a .049 hitting percentage. The win brought the defending MEAC champs above .500 in league play once again.
 
Norfolk State swept the Hornets 3-0 in the teams' first meeting of the season, with two of the three sets decided by just two points each. Valeria Otera led DSU with nine kills that evening, while Gilbert (14) and Shonte Seale (12) paced the Spartans in that department.

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