Howard University’s volleyball team completed a 3–0 sweep over High Point University last Thursday at Burr Gymnasium, moving their season record to 6–3 overall with set scores of 25–22, 25–17 and 25–20.
Competitive spirit remained high among the Bison, marking their first-ever win over High Point since the programs first met in 2022.
Howard opened the match with a 4–2 lead, following behind senior outside hitter Rya McKinnon. She set the tone early with the first kill and went on to lead the team with a game-high total of 16 kills.
McKinnon, a computer science major, is the first three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Year since 1988 and has also earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American Honorable Mention Honors during her career at Howard.
“I feel great about the team’s performance. We did really well,” McKinnon said. “The past times we’ve played High Point, we haven’t finished with a win, so to get a win this weekend feels amazing.”
The first set stayed tight, with both sides trading points. A block from sophomore middle blocker Zenai Jethroe and senior setter Leah Reeves sparked a 3–0 run to give Howard the edge, and Alexys James sealed the set with a kill, closing with a final score of 25–22.
Howard carried that momentum into the second set, jumping to a 5–2 lead and maintaining control the rest of the way. The Bison used a seven-point charge to pull away comfortably, closing it out 25–17.
In the third set, High Point pushed back, but Jethroe answered with three straight attacks during a nine-point Howard run that stretched the lead to 16–6. The Panthers responded with an eight-point rally of their own, but Howard held steady as James capped the sweep with a service ace to secure the final set 25–20.
Jethroe finished the night with nine kills and five blocks, while junior sports medicine major Kaitlynn Robinson added four kills and five blocks in the middle.
“I did really good blocking-wise, so I definitely feel like that took a little bit off of our defense’s shoulders, teamwork-wise, so they didn’t have to dig as much,” Robinson said.
For Head Coach Shaun Kupferberg, the team’s ability to naturally bring positive energy and work together to adjust defensively stood out. However, he said he still sees areas for growth.
“We played well, but not great. In the third set, we were up by 11 and let [High Point] come back and there’s no reason for that,” Kupferberg said. “We’re constantly setting new goals and standards to improve moving forward to finish our matches strong.”
The Bison have started the season strong, leading the nation in aces with 2.85 per set, while also ranking No. 1 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in hitting efficiency at .241 and blocks at 2.24 per set.
With their first-ever win over High Point and three national stat leads, the Bison are stacking milestones early.
The team’s season continues with upcoming matchups against Coppin State University on Sept. 26, Morgan State University on Sept. 28. and Delaware State University on Oct. 3.
Copy edited by Daryl Thomas Jr.
