{"id":150192,"date":"2025-09-03T13:46:08","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T17:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hbcugameday.com\/?p=150192"},"modified":"2025-09-03T14:00:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T18:00:17","slug":"hbcu-volleyballs-big-three-rivalry-howard-dsu-and-coppin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hbcugameday.com\/2025\/09\/03\/hbcu-volleyballs-big-three-rivalry-howard-dsu-and-coppin\/","title":{"rendered":"HBCU Volleyball\u2019s Big Three Rivalry: Howard, DSU, and Coppin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>MEAC volleyball has shifted into a new era. For much of the last decade, Howard University owned the conference. But in the past six seasons, Delaware State and Coppin State have stepped up to create a true<a href=\"https:\/\/meacsports.com\/news\/2025\/8\/18\/womens-volleyball-howard-pegged-as-preseason-meac-championship-contender.aspx\"> three-team battle at the top of HBCU volleyball.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MEAC Volleyball Champions, 2019\u20132024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>2019:<\/strong>\u00a0Howard wins the championship<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2020:<\/strong>\u00a0No tournament (COVID-19)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2021:<\/strong>\u00a0Howard wins again<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2022:<\/strong>\u00a0Delaware State claims first title since 1986<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2023:<\/strong>\u00a0Coppin State wins first-ever championship<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>2024:<\/strong>\u00a0Delaware State adds a second crown in three years<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Championship Tally (2019\u20132024)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Coppin State:\u00a0<strong>1 title<\/strong>\u00a0(2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Howard:\u00a0<strong>2 titles<\/strong>\u00a0(2019, 2021)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Delaware State:\u00a0<strong>2 titles<\/strong>\u00a0(2022, 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-howard-the-consistent-threat\">Howard: The Consistent Threat<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Howard reached the finals three times in the past six years and won twice. The Bison remain the dynasty of MEAC volleyball, producing stars like HBCU Rya McKinnon, who continues to dominate as one of the league\u2019s most recognizable faces. Howard\u2019s tradition of winning ensures they always enter the season as the team to beat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-delaware-state-the-emerging-force\">Delaware State: The Emerging Force<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hbcugameday.com\/2024\/11\/25\/delaware-state-wins-second-meac-volleyball-title-in-three-years\/\">Delaware State reached the championship match in 2022 and 2024<\/a>, and the Hornets walked away with the trophy both times. Their 2022 run ended a decades-long drought and signaled a new chapter in program history. By winning again in 2024, DSU proved it was no fluke. They are now firmly part of the championship conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-coppin-state-from-spoiler-to-champion\">Coppin State: From Spoiler to Champion<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Coppin State played in the MEAC finals twice during this stretch and stunned the league in 2023 with its first-ever title. The Eagles turned their spoiler reputation into legitimacy by sweeping Howard in the championship match. That win solidified Coppin as a permanent member of the conference\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Coppin State volleyball celebrates first ever MEAC Championship - HBCU Gameday\" width=\"1240\" height=\"698\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cRNhn3DQxW4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-the-big-three-rivalry-means-everything-in-meac-volleyball\">Why the Big Three Rivalry Means Everything in MEAC Volleyball<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>The MEAC only sends one team to the NCAA Tournament each season. That means when Howard, Delaware State, and Coppin State collide, the stakes are enormous. Every matchup between them feels like postseason elimination, even in the regular season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This three-way rivalry brings parity, unpredictability, and star power to a league that once felt predictable. For HBCU sports fans, it makes volleyball a must-watch sport alongside football and basketball. The Big Three rivalry doesn\u2019t just decide the conference\u2014it defines the path to March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-next\">What\u2019s Next<\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p>Howard enters 2025 as the preseason favorite, with Delaware State close behind and Coppin State ready to strike again. The road to the NCAA Tournament runs straight through the Big Three of MEAC volleyball, and every game promises the kind of drama fans live for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The MEAC volleyball rivalry between Howard, Delaware State, and Coppin State is rewriting the conference. In the past six years, all three have won titles, turning the Big Three into must-watch HBCU action.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":150193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_ml_titleColor":"#000000","_ml_titleFont":"Roboto","_ml_titleFontSize":1.136,"_ml_titleFontWeight":"400","_ml_titleLineHeight":1.3,"_ml_metaColor":"#708090","_ml_metaFont":"Montserrat","_ml_metaFontSize":0.6785,"_ml_metaFontWeight":"400","_ml_metaLineHeight":0.92,"_ml_bodyColor":"#a9a9a9","_ml_bodyFont":"Open Sans","_ml_bodyFontSize":0.85,"_ml_bodyFontWeight":"400","_ml_bodyLineHeight":1.2,"_ml_wooPriceColor":"#666","_ml_wooPriceFont":"Open 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