Two HBCU volleyball teams will be facing a pair of giants in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Florida A&M, which went undefeated in the SWAC, will visit five-time national champion Nebraska, while DSU, winners of their second MEAC title in three seasons, will square off against seven-time NCAA champion Penn State. Both matches are scheduled for Friday, Dec. 6.
The Rattlers, 27-6 overall in 2024, finished conference play 16-0 and defeated Grambling, Bethune-Cookman, and Jackson State in the SWAC tournament to earn their third conference title in four seasons. FAMU won 17 of their 24 matches in sweeps and lost just eight sets to SWAC opponents all year.
FAMU is led by the three-time coach of the year Gokhan Yilmaz and all-conference performers Brooke Lynn Watts, Alexandra Koleva, Iyonnie Sanford, and Tinons Galmes.
The Hornets (17-13, 10-4 MEAC) were the third seed in the MEAC volleyball tournament, which they hosted. They took down North Carolina Central, second-seeded Coppin State, and top-seeded Howard to clinch their second-ever trip to the NCAA tournament.
The Hornets are led by head coach David Brooks, who took Elizabeth City State to the CIAA championship and NCAA D-2 tournament in 2022 before taking over at DSU. The Hornets’ all-MEAC standouts include tournament MVP Gerren Tomlin, conference rookie of the year Paige Ahakuelo, and second-teamer Hannah Sanders.
FAMU’s match against Nebraska takes place Friday, Dec. 6, at 8 p.m. while DSU faces Penn State at 7:30 EST.
Why did you leave out Chicago State.? They are in the tournament too.
Chicago State isn’t an HBCU.