The University of Maryland Eastern Shore Lady Hawks and Florida A&M University Lady Rattlers earned the top seeds in the northern and southern divisions of the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Championship tournament.The Lady Hawks finished the season with an unblemished 12-0 mark in conference play en route to their fifth consecutive MEAC northern divisional title. UMES recorded over 20 victories for the fifth straight year and concluded the regular season on a 15 match win streak.
Morgan State secured the second seed in the north with an 8-4 conference record followed by Hampton (7-5). Howard won the tiebreaker over Norfolk State (5-7) to earn the fourth and final spot in the northern division.
Florida A&M also captured its fifth straight southern divisional crown with a 9-1 mark in conference play. The Lady Rattlers have won nine of the last 10 MEAC volleyball titles and 13 overall.
The defending MEAC champion South Carolina State Bulldogs (8-2) captured the second seed in the southern division. Bethune-Cookman (6-4) earned the third seed and North Carolina Central (5-5) rounded out the fourth and final seed.
Only the top four teams in each division are eligible to compete in the single match elimination tournament and vie for the championship title. Seedings are determined by overall conference records. Norfolk State (5-7), Delaware State (4-8), Coppin State (1-11), North Carolina A&T (2-7) and Savannah State (0-9) have been eliminated from tournament play based on their MEAC record.
The 2011 MEAC Volleyball Championship tournament begins on Friday, November 18 at 10 a.m. at the Physical Education Complex on the campus of Coppin State University in Baltimore, Md. For up-to-date schedule information, visit www.MEACsports.com.
The volleyball championship tournament will conclude on Sunday, November 20 beginning at noon. The championship finale will air live online for free via www.MEACSports.com.
Admission for the championship tournament is $7 and $15 for a three-day pass. Admission is free for students with a valid ID and children under the age of 12.
For more information on MEAC Volleyball or other sponsored sports, visit www.MEACSports.com.
Courtesy of MEAC Public Relations
