PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – After 25 games in the 2022 regular season, it will all come down to one for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball program, as they head to Dover, Delaware to play in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, November 18.
 
The fifth seeded Hawks (7-18, 6-8 MEAC) will meet fourth seeded Norfolk State University for the third time this season, this time at neutral Delaware State University. During the regular season, the Spartans (7-17, 7-7 MEAC) took both matches in five sets.
 
"We think we're a good matchup with them," head coach Trevor Callarman said. "We know that we can execute our game plan and get the win, we just have to make sure we execute on that day."
 
Checking In on the Hawks
 
The Hawks enter this game with high expectations after tough losses to Norfolk in conference play, confident in their ability to turn things around to push into the second round of the tournament.
 
Two student-athletes picked up postseason nods for the Hawks, as Nkemjika Ikemefuna was named to the All-Rookie Team and Charlize Williams earned 2^nd Team All-MEAC honors. It's the second postseason award for Williams, being placed on the All-Rookie Team in 2021.
 
As a team, the Hawks were solid offensively during the regular season, notching 1022 kills to their opponents 963, but were often hurt by errors, finishing with 515. Defensively, again the Hawks out-dug opponents 12.4 to 11.1 digs per set, but also had issues on the reception by being out-aced by nearly 100 aces.
 
Leading the team in kills at the end of the regular season is senior Derionah Abner with 183, while Ikemefuna (174 kills), Ranyla Griggs (143 kills) and Williams (142 kills) rounded out the main offensive weapons. Sydney Morris, Alexis Lee and Soleil Cotton were also key contributors both off the bench and in spot starting roles.
 
Sophia Chacon has been the engine for the passing game this fall, with a team leading 478 assists that had her sixth in the conference while splitting duties with Romina Vacca (292 assists) as the season progressed.
 
"A big part of it this week is that we want to make sure that our passing is aggressive," Callarman said. "We want to be going into the tournament with the mindset that we're there to take matches."
 
The Hawks have found themselves with one of the best young libero/defensive specialists pairings on defense with freshman Valeria Matias and sophomore Isil Yilmaz – the duo having near identical numbers at 246 and 245 digs, respectively. Vacca and Chacon have chipped in nicely as well, both with over 120 digs.
 
At the net it's been the Williams show, with a team leading 77 blocks (27 solo, 50 assisted) that has her second in the conference and also earned her a defensive player of the week earlier this season.
 
Scouting the Spartans
 
Norfolk State is nothing less than a feisty group that is guaranteed to give the Hawks a tough fight, much like in their last two meetings. The first time the squads met in Norfolk, the Hawks raced out to an early two set lead before getting reverse swept after the Spartans, while the second meeting saw a back-and-forth from the start that saw Norfolk victorious.
 
All seven of the Spartans victories have come in-conference, sweeping North Carolina Central and South Carolina State for four wins, while also getting a surprise match sweep win over Delaware State early in conference play.
 
The Spartans are led by their 2^nd Team All-MEAC outside hitters Carla Hernandez and Shonte Steele, who have 228 and 240 kills, respectively. Setting them up in a true 5-and-1 is freshman Sydney McCree, who was named to the MEAC All-Rookie team alongside the Hawk's Ikemefuna. McCree finished third in the conference with 7.06 assists per set.
 
Up front the Spartans rely on middle blockers Adlene Jideofor and Paolo Maradei, both sitting in the MEAC's top-ten in blocks per set at sixth and seventh. Nicole Rodriguez mans the libero role for Norfolk, her 3.66 digs per set have her fourth in the conference.
 
How to Watch
 
Host Delaware State University will be streaming the first two rounds of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament through Wilmington University's athletics website, as well as providing Live Stats. The finals on Sunday will be aired live on ESPNU. Links for both will be available on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore athletics website.
 
"We definitely want to catch people off guard a little bit, a little dark horse mentality," Callarman said. "Stay focused, one game at a time, but also just stay with that aggressive mindset for each match as we continue through the tournament."
 
Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksVBall.