PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball team will begin their second round of conference matches this weekend as they head south to face Norfolk State on Friday (October 22) and host Howard on Sunday (October 24). First serve against Norfolk State will be at 6 p.m. and first serve against Howard will be at 2 pm.

"We have seen everybody once, but I think we are a stronger team now" head coach Trevor Callarman said. "We look forward to having some of the top teams at home and trying to get some strong road wins as we head into the MEAC tournament."

The Hawks (9-9, 4-3 MEAC) are tied for third in the conference with Coppin State and North Carolina Central with seven matches left to play. The trio sits one game behind Howard and Delaware State is 8-0 in MEAC play and holds a strong lead on the pack.

The Shore has been one of the top defensive teams at the net in conference play. Eastern Shore is leading the MEAC in blocks per set for a team in conference matches. That ranking is led by the tandem of senior Mauri Carver and freshman Charlize Williams as they rank one and two respectively in blocks per set among individual players.

In their first matchup with Norfolk State, Eastern Shore swept the match on September 24. Maryland Eastern Shore controlled that contest from the outset and used 11 service aces to capture their first conference win of the season.

The team would play Howard two days later in the nation's capital and the Bison won in three sets. Eastern Shore struggled offensively in that match as they had just a .011 hitting percentage versus Howard's .210.

Fans can watch and follow along with live stats for both matches this weekend. Links for all streams and stats will be on the Hawks website easternshorehawks.com on the volleyball schedule page.