NORFOLK STATE [5-23, 3-11 MEAC] vs HOWARD (16-10, 10-4 MEAC)
Date / Time	Thursday, Nov. 20 | 5 p.m.
Location	Baltimore, Md. | Physical Education Complex
TV / Streaming	ESPN+
Tickets	Purchase Tickets here
Live Stats	coppinstatesports.com
Match Notes	Norfolk State Notes
All-Time Series	Howard Leads, 36-5
Last Meeting	11/14/25 NSU 0, HU 3 (17-25, 21-25, 10-25)
Social Media	Twitter - X | Instagram | Facebook

BALTIMORE, Md. — The Norfolk State volleyball team opens postseason play on Thursday, taking on Howard in the MEAC Tournament quarterfinals at 5 p.m. on the campus of Coppin State University.
 
ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT
Norfolk State (5-23, 3-11 MEAC) enters as the No. 7 seed, while Howard (16-10, 10-4 MEAC) holds the No. 2 seed.
 
The winner will advance to Friday's 8 p.m. semifinal against either No. 3 Morgan State or No. 6 Maryland Eastern Shore. The championship match is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 22 at 5 p.m. All matches will stream live on ESPN+.
 
Single-day tickets cost $10, while a three-day tournament pass is $25. Fans can find schedules, coverage links and event information on the MEAC Championship Central page.
 
ABOUT NORFOLK STATE
Norfolk State enters the postseason at 5-23 overall and 3-11 in the MEAC, coming off a straight-sets loss to Howard last weekend (17-25, 21-25, 10-25) at Gill Gymnasium.
 
Gabrielle Gilbert leads the Spartans with 397 kills and a .205 hitting percentage. Sophomore setter Jasmine Mataira has tallied 397 assists. Gilbert (38) and Briana Ellis (31) pace the team at the service line.
 
Defensively, Mary Nahinu leads NSU with 284 digs, followed by Mya Wood with 217. Ava Berry anchors the front line with 83 blocks, while Reagan Chisholm adds 57 and Gilbert contributes 46.
 
ABOUT HOWARD
Howard enters the tournament at 16-10 overall and 10-4 in conference play. The Bison earned a win over Norfolk State last week and also faced Temple in their regular-season finale.
 
Senior outside hitter Rya McKinnon leads the Bison with 418 kills. Alexys James has added 236, and Zenai Jethroe has recorded 212. Reeves directs the offense with 1,006 assists, and James adds 123. Reeves (45), James (37) and Buckner (30) lead from the service line.
 
Claire Simpson leads the defense with 331 digs, followed by McKinnon (209) and Buckner (177). Jethroe controls the net with 92 blocks, while Kaitlynn Robinson adds 78.

ACADEMIC HONORS
The MEAC announced the 2025 Volleyball All-Academic Team on Tuesday afternoon, honoring eight student-athletes from Norfolk State including: Erin Armstrong, Catori Crawford, Jala Dixon, Gabrielle Gilbert, Jasmine Mataira, Sydney McCree, and Reagan Chisholm.
 
To be eligible for All-Academic recognition, MEAC sophomore, junior, and senior student-athletes must hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Transfer student-athletes who have been in residence at their respective institutions for at least one year are also eligible for selection.  
 
For complete coverage of Norfolk State Athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @nsuspartans (X/Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.