Morgan State volleyball will enter the 2026 season with increased expectations after being picked to finish fourth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason poll.
The MEAC released its preseason poll Tuesday, with the Bears receiving 68 points in voting conducted by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors. Defending conference champion Coppin State was picked first with seven first-place votes and 92 points. Howard was second with 85 points, while Delaware State was third with 72. Morgan State followed in fourth, ahead of Maryland Eastern Shore, Norfolk State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State.
The fourth-place projection represents another sign of progress for a Morgan State program that exceeded expectations last season.
Morgan State was picked sixth before the 2025 campaign but finished 11-14 overall and 8-6 in conference play. The Bears finished third in the MEAC, recording their most overall wins, most conference victories and highest league finish since 2019.
That improvement gives Morgan State a legitimate opportunity to build on its momentum in 2026.
Bears Return Important Pieces
One of the biggest reasons for optimism is the return of senior middle blocker and outside hitter Jada Williams.
Williams was one of Morgan State’s top players during the 2025 season and earned First Team All-MEAC honors. She led the Bears with a .350 hitting percentage during the regular season while also recording 183 kills, 31 service aces and 74 total blocks, including 30 solo blocks. Her hitting percentage led the MEAC, while she also ranked among the league leaders in blocks and service aces.
Williams enters 2026 as one of the most experienced players on the roster and should remain a major part of Morgan State’s attack.
The Bears also return sophomore setter Isabelle Brown, who was named to the 2025 MEAC All-Rookie Team. Brown played in 25 matches last season and recorded 607 assists, averaging 7.23 assists per set. In conference play, that number increased to 7.50 assists per set. She also contributed 104 digs in MEAC matches and finished the year with 23 service aces.
Brown’s return gives Morgan State stability at one of the most important positions on the floor.
Morgan State’s 2026 roster also includes several other returning players, including sophomore libero Tameary Wardlaw, sophomore outside hitter Jenae Mason, junior middle blocker Aubrey Wilson, senior opposite hitter Tyrah Weems and sophomore right-side hitter Zayda Thomas.
That returning experience should help head coach Xiomara Ortiz continue the progress Morgan State showed last season.
Transfers Add More Experience
Morgan State also added several experienced players to the roster.
Junior outside hitter Azra Arslanoglu arrives after playing at Miami Dade Community College, while senior Michaela Panekova comes to Morgan State after time at Sam Houston State. Junior Nathalia Ferreira Morais also brings junior college experience from Miami Dade and Hutchinson Community College.
The Bears also added sophomore defensive specialist and libero Kira DeVrieze, who previously played at Delaware State.
Those additions could be important for a Morgan State team attempting to move from being a competitive conference opponent to a legitimate championship contender.
The roster also includes freshmen Bailey Swinton and Alaina Walker. Swinton is a local addition from Odenton and Arundel High School, while Walker comes to Baltimore from Charlotte, North Carolina.
Morgan State Was Strong at the Net
One area where the Bears stood out last season was blocking.
Morgan State finished 2025 with 180.5 total blocks compared with 123 for its opponents. The Bears averaged 1.9 blocks per set, while opponents averaged just 1.3.
Morgan State also held a slight advantage in hitting efficiency. The Bears attacked at a .202 percentage for the season, compared with .191 for their opponents.
Williams was a major part of that defensive presence at the net, and her return should help Morgan State maintain one of the strengths that allowed the Bears to surprise teams last season.
The next step will be improving consistency in other areas.
Morgan State averaged 11.3 kills per set last season compared with 11.7 for opponents. The Bears also averaged 1.7 service aces per set while allowing 2.0.
Those are relatively small differences, but closing those gaps could be the difference between another solid conference finish and competing for the MEAC championship.
Coppin State Remains the Team to Beat
Morgan State will have to navigate a competitive conference.
Coppin State enters 2026 as the defending MEAC champion and clear preseason favorite. The Eagles received seven first-place votes and 92 total points. Howard received two first-place votes, while Delaware State also received two.
Norfolk State was picked sixth but received two first-place votes, showing how unpredictable the conference could be this season.
Coppin State libero Coco Figueroa was selected as the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year.
Figueroa was joined on the preseason All-MEAC team by Coppin State teammates Cherisse Atilano and Kayden Cupid. Howard placed Zenai Jethroe, Alexys James and Kaitlynn Robinson on the team, while Norfolk State’s Gabrielle Gilbert also earned preseason recognition.
No Morgan State player was named to the preseason All-MEAC team despite Williams earning First Team All-MEAC honors last season and Brown making the All-Rookie Team.
That could provide additional motivation for a Bears roster that already proved last year it can outperform preseason expectations.
Morgan State Opens Against Cleveland State
The Bears will begin the 2026 season on Friday, Aug. 28 against Cleveland State in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The match will be part of the Steel Classic, hosted by Lehigh on Aug. 28-29.
Non-conference tournament matches will give Morgan State an opportunity to evaluate its new additions and establish its lineup before conference play begins.
The Bears open their MEAC schedule on Sept. 25 on the road against Norfolk State.
That matchup could immediately be important in the conference standings. Norfolk State was picked sixth but received two first-place votes in the preseason poll, suggesting voters believe the Spartans have the potential to finish much higher.
Morgan State’s annual homecoming match will be held Oct. 9 against Delaware State.
That could be one of the most significant home matches of the season. Delaware State was picked third, just one spot ahead of Morgan State, and received two first-place votes.
Championship Comes to Baltimore
Morgan State will also have the advantage of staying close to home if it qualifies for another postseason run.
The 2026 MEAC Volleyball Championship will be held Nov. 20-22 at Coppin State’s Physical Education Complex in Baltimore.
All eight conference teams will compete for the MEAC’s automatic berth in the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship.
For Morgan State, that creates an obvious goal.
The Bears already showed they can finish in the upper half of the conference. Now the challenge is proving that last year’s third-place finish was not an outlier.
MSB Take
Morgan State being picked fourth should be viewed as both recognition and motivation.
The Bears were underestimated before last season and responded by finishing two spots higher than projected. They also produced their best overall win total, conference win total and conference finish since 2019.
Now expectations have changed.
Morgan State is no longer entering the season as a team expected to finish near the bottom of the MEAC. The Bears are being viewed as an upper-half conference team with a chance to challenge the league’s top programs.
Williams gives Morgan State an experienced and productive presence at the net. Brown gives the Bears a young setter who already showed she can handle a significant role. The roster also includes a combination of returning players, transfers and freshmen who could give Ortiz more depth than Morgan State had last season.
The fourth-place projection also leaves plenty of room for the Bears to outperform expectations again.
Morgan State finished third last season after being picked sixth. Moving from fourth into the top three in 2026 is certainly realistic if the Bears continue to improve offensively and maintain their strength at the net.
The bigger challenge will be closing the gap on Coppin State, Howard and Delaware State.
Morgan State proved last season that progress is being made. The 2026 season will show whether the Bears are ready to turn that progress into a legitimate championship push.
Maryland Sports Blog
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