WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a contest of two hot-hitting teams, top-seeded Howard University outlasted fourth-seeded North Carolina Central University, 3-1, in in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Championship semifinals on Saturday afternoon.
 
The two teams combined for 99 kills. The Bison had 56 of those spikes with a .345 hitting percentage while the Eagles netted 43 kills with a .241 hitting percentage.
 
Howard (17-12 Overall), winners of the last five fall MEAC Volleyball Championships, will be once again advancing to the title match on Sunday at 8 p.m. with the 25-19, 25-17, 23-25, 25-14 triumph.
 
NC Central (11-14 Overall) finished its season with its most wins since 2007, its most MEAC wins (9) since joining the league in 2011-12 and its first ever DI postseason win with Friday's quarterfinals victory over University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
A group of seniors ended their season with strong performances for the maroon and gray. Ammaarah Williams led NCCU with 13 kills and a .440 hitting percentage. Senior classmate Arlanda Faulkner followed with nine kills and a .375 hitting percentage. McKayla Young added eight points with six kills and a team-best four block assists. Celene Morris chipped in 10 digs.
 
Sophomore Lauran Janok, the 2021 MEAC Setter of the Year, tallied her league-leading 14th double-double. Janok had 31 digs and 10 digs while adding six kills on seven attempts for an .857 hitting percentage.
 
With the score tied 14-14 past the midway point of the first set, Howard closed out the opening frame on an 11-5 run to take the early edge. The Eagles were once again in a close second set trailing by just two points at 16-14 before the Bison but once used a late 9-3 surge to double up their set advantage.
 
Howard was closing in on the sweep with a 23-21 lead in the third set, but NCCU rattled off four straight points to force a fourth set. Williams scored half of those points with two kills in the closing outburst.
 
The Bison scored the first three points of the fourth set and never trailed in the fourth set to end the match. Howard hit .452 in the final set.
 
Freshman Dami Awojobi led the victors with 14 kills. MEAC Freshman of the Year Bria Woodard added a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs. Junior Tamar Wells was a third Bison hitter with double-digit kills as she finished with 11 spikes. Senior setter Milexa Cardona orchestrated the high-powered Howard attack with 47 assists.