BALTIMORE, MD --- "The Battle of the Real HU" in the volleyball realm will have a fitting conclusion this season.
The Howard women's volleyball team defeated the Florida A&M University Lady Rattlers, 3-2, in the semifinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament Saturday afternoon at the Coppin State Physical Education Complex.
The victory gives Howard (20-10), the North No. 2 seed, their first appearance in the MEAC Championship Game since 1994, clinches back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time since 1994-95 and sets up a third and final showdown with Hampton University, the reigning MEAC Champions who defeated host Coppin State, 3-1, earlier in the day.
Howard and Hampton split the regular season series - each winning on their home floor - and shared the Northern Division title this season. Hampton defeated Howard, 3-1, in the 2013 Tournament semis en route to the championship.Freshman outside hitter
Khaila Donaldson registered her second double-double in as many games with a match-high 20 kills and 11 digs to give HU its first win over FAMU since 1997. Senior setter
Stephanie Shultis had 27 assists and senior libero
Allyson Lods had a team-high 12 digs. Sophomore outside hitter
Katherine Broussard and freshman defensive specialists/libero
Carlise Cardoza added 10 digs each.
Howard improved on their play from Friday but FAMU (12-15) provided expectedly difficult opposition. The Lady BisonÂ
took the opening set (26-24) after leading by as many as eight (18-10) and withstanding a 14-6 Lady Rattlers run to tie the set at 24-24.
HU stayed close to FAMU early in sets two and three - to the tune of a combined eight ties and two lead changes - but saw the Southern Division champions take both sets, 25-21 and 25-18.
With the season and the careers of six seniors hanging in the balance, Howard stepped up in set four. The Lady Bison again took an 18-10 lead and closed out FAMU, 25-20 to tie the match.
In the deciding set, FAMU opened scoring by taking the first three points. Howard came back to tie the game on three separate occasions (5-5, 6-6, 7-7). HU scored the next three points - two on Donaldson kills - to go up 10-7. FAMU would get within one (13-12) but a pair of kills from Broussard and Donaldson punched Howard's ticket to the title match.Ginna Lopez-Chavez and Pamela Soriano each finished with 15 kills for Florida A&M (12-15). Soriano also recorded a team-high 22 digs. Yeshia Arcia registered 13 kills and Valeria Lopez chipped in with 33 assists.Howard will look to have history repeat itself in Sunday's title game - the last time the Lady Bison advanced to the MEAC Championship Game, the team captured its seventh title in program history with a 3-0 sweep of Morgan State.
***NOTE: Tomorrow's matchup will be televised on the ESPN family of networks. The 12 p.m. match will air live on ESPN3 and will play on Tape Delay on ESPNU at 9 p.m..***,
