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PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -- Coach Shaun Kupferberg and the Howard University Women's Volleyball team captured its third straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Title after sweeping the Florida A&M (FAMU) Rattlers (25-22, 25-19, 29-27) at the William P. Hytche Athletc Center. The victory also secured HU's 10th championship in program history.
Additionally, Howard became the first team to three-peat since FAMU won nine consecutive title (2001-09).
"Everyone is different," said Kupferberg, MEAC Tournament Outstanding Coach. "Everyone has different feelings attached to it. This one was a struggle, this one was probably the hardest. We had a long year, we had a lot of injuries, a lot of new players … it was chaos trying to put it all together."
MEAC Player of the Year Khaila Donaldson was named the tournament's Outstanding Performer after flirting with a double-double (nine kills and nine digs).
"It's amazing because this is my last one," Donaldson said. "I'm a senior and this is my last one, and we have a new team who's never been here before, so there's a lot of emotions, a lot of tears – happy tears, thank God – it's just overwhelming."
Fellow classmate Jessica Young led the Bison with a match-best 17 kills while producing a .424 hitting percentage. Young was also named to the All-Tournament Team.
Howard (16-15) was trailing near the midway point of the first set until the Bison chipped away, using a 9-4 spurt to take an 18-17 lead after an ace from senior Carlise Cardoza. FAMU tied the set again on the next point, but Howard maintained control before ultimately winning the frame 25-22.
The second set was tight early until Howard responded with a 5-1 push to go up 11-7 after Young and junior Olubunmi Okunade paired on a block. From that point on, the Rattlers could not get closer than within two; thus, HU took a commanding 2-0 lead after two sets.
FAMU led throughout the third, but again, the Bison slowly chipped away at that lead. Nicole Abreu's kill gave FAMU breathing room at 21-18, but Howard answered with a 5-2 spurt to tie the set at 23-23 on a Jurnee Tipton kill.
There were four more ties, the last at 27-27, before a Young kill and an Abreu error clinched the title.
Sophomore Kira Porter joined Donaldson and Young on the All-Tournament Team after posting nine kills and five total blocks (three solo) against Florida A&M.
The NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship bracket will be announced the Sunday, Nov. 26 before the first round of competition, which begins Thursday, Nov. 30.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com. BOX SCORE HOWARD UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – After guiding the Howard University Football team to its first winning season in five years, Coach Mike London was named a finalist for the 31st STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award. The announcement came Monday morning.
London was among the 18 finalists selected for this year's award.
"I am extremely humbled and honored to be considered for this prestigious award," London stated. "We all stand on the shoulders of others that have helped us along the way. I am thankful to so many in my life and those who made this consideration a reality."
Mike London, HowardUniversity -- London's first season at Howard began with the program's first FBS win as the Bison beat UNLV as 45-point underdogs. While tying for second place, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference squad posted its first winning record since 2012 and the second in the last 16 years. Record: 7-4. COURTESY: North Carolina A&T State University Sports Information.
London's first season at HU began with the program's first FBS win as the Bison beat UNLV, which according to ESPN, deemed the biggest upset in college football history. Furthermore, Howard finished second in the conference with a 6-2 mark while posting its first winning season since 2012.
Named for the legendary coach of Grambling State, past winners of the Robinson Award include Mark Duffner, Erk Russell, Chris Ault, Jim Tressel, Houston Nutt, Andy Talley, Paul Johnson, Joe Glenn, Jerry Kill, Jerry Moore and two-time winners Mickey Matthews, Sean McDonnell and Craig Bohl.
This year's list includes at least one coach from all 13 FCS conferences. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the recipient.
Also this season, STATS will present the Walter Payton Award (FCS offensive player of the year), the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), the Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year) and the Doris Robinson FCS Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
For more STATS FCS Coverage: http://www.fcs.football/fcsfront.asp
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.
ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- Bulldog fans are frustrated, confused and, in some cases, really upset.
The South Carolina State football program -- with 16 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships and four Sheridan Broadcasting Network National Black Champion titles in its history -- just experienced a disappointing 3-7 season.
This has never been the norm in Orangeburg.
All five road games resulted in losses this year. And it didn't help matters that the season finale was a 34-10 loss this past Saturday at Savannah State, a program that plans to move down to the NCAA Division II ranks soon and started a freshman quarterback from the same high school as S.C. State's starting quarterback.
Now the Bulldogs program is examing what it will look like going forward, with head coach Oliver "Buddy" Pough talking daily with first-year athletic director Stacy Danley, looking at what changes might need to be made on his staff. And with Pough being in the final year of his contract, after 16 seasons at the helm, an announcement is expected from Danley and the administration by the end of next week on Pough's future with the Bulldogs. CONTINUE READING
PINE BLUFF, Arkansas -- “There’s a lot of the fan base, and a lot of folks that stop contributing because they wanted me out,” former UAPB head football coach Monte Coleman said. “I’m out now, so I hope the fans that backed off will step up to the plate. It’s not about the coach, it’s about the young men. We as coaches did the best we could in choosing them. The young men definitely deserve it.”
Since learning Monday morning that his contract as head football coach at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff wouldn’t be renewed after it expires in December, Monte Coleman said that it “has been a tough process.”
“It was an enjoyable 10 years as head coach,” Coleman said. “I’ve made a lot of friends, and hopefully I’ve been able to have a positive effect on a lot of men. It’s a sad deal, but life goes on, and I’m just expecting the lord to open another door.”
In all, Coleman was a coach on the UAPB football staff for nearly 15 years. Over that time, he has coached a lot of young men, but in a brief interview he named a couple of special guys off the top of his head who he sees as staples in his coaching career.
“I had a lot of players come through,” Coleman said. “Johnny Randle was with me early on, Patrick Okeye, who is a police officer in Dallas, Pat Sanders is a financial advisor, Horton, Jared Dorn, Aaron Eugene, Willie Young, and even my son. Tashad Cherity would be the latest. There’s a whole host of guys that played for me and played well, but all of the guys I named weren’t always starters, but they were always leaders. And I’m pretty sure there’s plenty of guys that I unintentionally left off.” CONTINUE READING
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Out here on the road with the traveling Tigers of Texas Southern, it can get a little hard keeping the schedule straight. It’s Thursday, right? If it’s Thursday, this must be Ohio State. Here come the Tigers for morning shoot-around, but before we stop coach Mike Davis for a word, consider Texas Southern’s non-conference schedule. Thirteen games in 44 days – every last one of them on the road. Ten states, four time zones, from Gonzaga and Washington State and Oregon in the west to Syracuse and Clemson in the east and south, with the likes of Kansas and Ohio State in between. The sea to shining sea tour.
So, um, why? “It’s a planned thing that I do because in life there’s going to be challenges,” Davis begins. “Your passion and your mindset and your efforts have to be greater than any challenge you’re going to face in life. So I have an opportunity with my basketball team to put them in challenges for 13 games.” And he’s not kidding. Besides the heavyweight teams on the schedule, one after another after another, there are quirks in the itinerary to help the travel budget. The 4 a.m. bus to the airport for the Gonzaga game. Flying into Cincinnati, two hours away, for this Ohio State visit.
All part of the plan. Davis again:
“I feel like that builds character, and that develops great habits of being able to recover mentally. The worst thing that’s going to happen is you’re going to lose a basketball game. Once you walk out of these doors, there’s going to be sickness, there’s going to be death, there’s going to be losing your job, divorce, all kind of situations you’re going to be challenged with.
“I’m giving my team the opportunity to face those challenges to prepare them for life, and also face these challenges so it prepares us for our conference. We’re never going to face teams in the SWAC that are as good as these teams. The only way you can get better is through struggle. You have to embrace the struggle, understand it, and always look to the solution.”
NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana erased a 16-point first-half deficit, then held on Monday for a 73-70 men's basketball victory against Mobile.
The Gold Rush (6-2) won for the second time in three days. The XULA men are 3-0 at home this season.
Jeff Dixon, one of four XULA players to score in double figures, had career highs of 19 points and eight assists. Mike Williams scored 12 points, and Rayshawn Mart and Jalen David had 11 apiece.
Tony-Toni Wright scored 16 points for the Rams (2-4). Andre Elam scored 14 points, and JaBarie Escoffery had 10.
XULA trailed 23-7 through 10 minutes, then rallied to grab a 33-27 halftime lead. A Joseph Williams basket gave the Gold Rush a 61-46 lead with 7:06 remaining. Mobile got as close as 71-70 and missed two 3-pointers on the final possession.
Dixon, a junior from New Orleans and in his first season of eligibility at XULA, became the first Gold Rush player to reach 19 points and eight assists in the same game since Wanto Joseph had 21 points and eight assists in an 84-79 home victory against Philander Smith on Jan. 19, 2013.
"Jeffrey has been coming along steadily," XULA coach Alfred Williams said. "He carried the scoring load, and we really needed it."
A primary reason for that need was the absence of another junior guard, Virgil Davison. He entered the game with a team-leading 15.3 scoring average, but he left this game for good with no points at 11:31 of the first half — shortly after his second turnover.
Soon after Davison's departure, XULA struck gold. It hit 8 of its last 12 shots from the floor of the half, then shot 60 percent in the second half to finish at a season-best 56.1.
Another player who did not reach recent levels was Escoffery, a junior guard who entered averaging 17.2 points and making 61 percent of his treys. But Escoffery shot a season-low seven times from the floor, made 2-of-5 treys and missed all five of his free throws, four in the final 9 1/2 minutes.
Mobile shot 47.2 percent from the floor, 50 percent in the second half, but was 14-of-28 at the line, 11-of-22 in the second half.
XULA scored the final points on Elex Carter's two free throws with eight seconds remaining, but the Gold Rush could not exhale until D.J. Hill and Xavier Howard missed treys in the final three seconds. A make by Hill or Howard would have produced the Rams' fourth overtime game of the season.
Instead the result was their fourth consecutive loss and the 16th in their last 18 meetings with XULA.
Mobile is 0-5 all-time against XULA at the Convocation Center, which opened in 2012, but all those games have been thrillers. XULA's average winning margin in those matchups is 3.2 points.
"Mobile's just a tough team," Williams said.
But once again the Gold Rush found ways to be a little bit tougher.
XULA will travel to Houston to play the University of St. Thomas at 7 p.m. Wednesday, then break for Thanksgiving. The next home game will tip off at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 against NAIA No. 2 LSU-Alexandria. BOX SCORE
GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T head football coach Rod Broadway has been selected as a finalist for the 31st STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award which honors the FCS Coach of the Year.
“This is never about me,” said Broadway. “I haven’t made a tackle since 1977. I think we have a great coaching staff and of course we have some great players. One thing about coaching you learn quickly, it’s about having great players and surrounding yourself with great people.”
Three other Aggies were also FCS STATs finalists. Junior quarterback Lamar Raynard (6-4, 200, High Point, NC) moved beyond the watch list to become a finalist the Walter Payton Award for offensive player of the year. Teammate and senior left tackle Brandon Parker (6-7, 309, Kannapolis, NC) is up for the same award. Freshman cornerback Mac McCain is now a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award for the best FCS rookie.
Broadway has the Aggies (11-0) as one of only two undefeated teams in FCS play along with No. 1 team in the nation, James Madison. The Aggies are also the 2017 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions for the third time in four years. For the first time in 14 years, the Aggies are the outright conference champions.
Under Broadway, N.C. A&T will play in its second Celebration Bowl in three years when the Aggies face the Southwestern Athletic Conference champion noon, Saturday, Dec. 16 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This season Broadway became the school’s second all-time winningest coach. In seven seasons, he is 58-22 (.725) at N.C. A&T. He reached 50 wins faster than any other coach in school history, getting his 50th win at N.C. A&T in 72 games coached. Before becoming the headman for the Aggies, Broadway spent four seasons at North Carolina Central before coaching another four years at Grambling State. He has an overall career record of 126-45 (.737).
Named for the legendary coach of Grambling State, past winners of the Robinson Award include Mark Duffner, Erk Russell, Chris Ault, Jim Tressel, Houston Nutt, Andy Talley, Paul Johnson, Joe Glenn, Jerry Kill, Jerry Moore and two-time winners Mickey Matthews, Sean McDonnell and Craig Bohl. This year's list includes at least one coach from all 13 FCS conferences. A national panel of over 150 sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries will select the recipient.
The other 17 finalists include:
Mike Ayers, Wofford - 2003 Eddie Robinson Award winner has led the Terriers to the Southern Conference title for the fifth time and the FCS playoffs for the eighth time in his 30th season. His team has been ranked in the Top 10 most of the season. Record: 10-1.
Al Bagnoli, Columbia - In Bagnoli's third season, the Lions finished with winning overall and Ivy League records for the first time since 1996. In tying for second place, they won five more games than they did in 2016. Record: 8-2.
Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State - Has led the Owls to the Big South championship and the FCS playoffs in just the program's third season. The Owls finished the regular season on a 10-game winning streak. Record: 10-1.
Kevin Callahan, Monmouth - In his 25th season, the Hawks have posted their best record since 2006 and qualified for the FCS playoffs for the first time. Picked fourth in the Big South preseason poll, they've improved by five wins and finished as the conference runner-up. Record: 9-2.
Dave Cecchini, Valparaiso - After the Crusaders won three total games against the same opponent in the four seasons prior to Cecchini's arrival, his third team ended with its best overall and Pioneer Football League records since 2003. Record: 6-5.
Curt Cignetti, Elon - The Phoenix have posted a six-win turnaround in Cignetti's first season after finishing 2-9 a year ago. Picked to finish 11th in the CAA Football preseason poll, they've defeated four Top 25 teams on the way to their first FCS playoff bid since 2009. Record: 8-3.
Charlie Fisher, Western Illinois - The Leathernecks have posted a school-record six road wins, including a rout of FBS member Coastal Carolina, in qualifying for the FCS playoffs. Their eight overall wins are the most since 2003. Record: 8-3.
John Grass, Jacksonville State - The Gamecocks have not lost a regular-season game to a non-FBS opponent in Grass' four seasons, sweeping their way to the Ohio Valley Conference title and the FCS playoffs. His .860 (43-7) winning percentage is tops among active Division I coaches. Record: 10-1.
Will Healy, Austin Peay - The Governors overcame a 29-game losing streak and a 1-47 overall stretch by winning eight of their final 10 games, with three of this year's four losses against FBS opponents. They also halted long Ohio Valley Conference (21 games) and road (45) losing streaks. Record: 8-4.
Mike Houston, James Madison - The defending national champions are one of two unbeaten teams in the FCS, sweeping to the CAA Football title as the No. 1-ranked team all season. They Dukes take a 23-game winning season - the longest in Division I - into the FCS playoffs. Record: 11-0.
Dan Hunt, Colgate - The Raiders earned a share of the Patriot League title for the second time in three years and are the only team in the league with a winning record. They allowed only 32 points during a season-closing five-game winning streak. Record: 7-4.
Chris Klieman, North Dakota State - The Bison won the Missouri Valley Football Conference title for the seventh consecutive season, and take a national-high six Top 25 wins into the FCS playoffs. Klieman has 50 wins in his four seasons guiding NDSU. Record: 10-1.
Mike London, Howard - London's first season at Howard began with the program's first FBS win as the Bison beat UNLV as 45-point underdogs. While tying for second place, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference squad posted its first winning record since 2012 and the second in the last 16 years. Record: 7-4.
Fred McNair, Alcorn State - The second-year coach is taking the Braves to the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game for the fourth straight season - a first in conference history - after they finished atop the East Division standings. Record: 7-4.
Tim Rebowe, Nicholls - The Colonels have turned around their program since ending a 23-game losing streak during Rebowe's first season in 2015. This year, they've qualified for the FCS playoffs with their first winning season since 2005. Record: 8-3.
Pete Rossomando, Central Connecticut State - The Blue Devils are headed to the FCS playoffs for the first time after they won an outright Northeast Conference title. They are on an eight-game winning streak, which is the longest in the program's FCS history. Record: 8-3.
Demario Warren, Southern Utah - In his second season, the Thunderbirds have earned a share of the Big Sky title and the conference's automatic bid to the playoffs after being picked seventh in the league's preseason poll. Record: 9-2. NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
