WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Hampton University volleyball team remained unbeaten in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play on Sunday afternoon, sweeping rival Howard 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-15) in Burr Gymnasium.

The Lady Pirates (10-8, 4-0 MEAC) handed Howard its first conference loss of the season.

"We are playing a great brand of volleyball right now," first-year head coach Karen Weatherington said. "This team has been working hard to fine-tune our offense and ball control."

Junior rightside Vendula Strakova (Brno, Czech Republic), the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, led the way with 18 kills – while also hitting a team-best .615, thanks to just two errors in 26 attacks. She also had six digs and two aces.

Junior outside hitter Krista Kraskura (Kuldiga, Latvia) had a team-high seven digs to go along with eight kills, going error-free for the first time this season to hit .533. Senior setter Bibiany Fonseca (Uberlandia, Brazil) had 30 of Hampton's 32 assists.

Senior libero Sheileen Pagan (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico) added six digs on defense.

"I'm especially proud of how we have been able to respond to different challenges within the conference,: Weatherington said. "We knew we were facing a tough serving team in Howard, so we wanted to assert our ability to have multiple players handle first contact.

"Our outside attack was very effective today. (Strakova) and (Kraskura) led us with brilliant execution, and (Fonseca) continues to impress me with her ability to assess and execute the strengths of our offense."

Much of the first set was tightly contested, as the Lady Pirates couldn't put more than two points of separation between themselves and the Lady Bison. Hampton led 7-5 after Fonseca and senior middle blocker Petra Parros (Bloomfield, N.J.) teamed on a block, then Kraskura and junior middle blocker Marija Kocevska (SkopjeKarpos, Macedonia) blocked a Howard attack to put the Lady Pirates up 10-8.

Howard fought back to take a 12-11 lead, before Hampton went on an 8-3 run to take a 19-15 lead on a block from Kraskura and Parros. From that point on, Howard couldn't get any closer than within four, and Strakova slammed home a kill to give the Lady Pirates the first set 25-20.

Howard hit just -.091 (eight kills, 11 errors in 33 attacks) in the first set.

The Lady Bison took some momentum at the start of the second set, leading 7-6, but the Lady Pirates scored the next five points to take an 11-7 lead on a kill from Strakova. Howard fought back, eventually closing the gap to 14-13, before Hampton scored four of the next six points to go up 19-15 on a Strakova kill.

Howard scored the next two points, but the Lady Pirates ended the set on a 6-3 spurt to take the second set 25-20 and take control of the match.

The Lady Pirates put any hopes of a Howard comeback to rest early in a dominant third set – a set in which Hampton hit .722 (13 kills, no errors in 18 attacks). Hampton opened the set on an 8-3 run, taking that lead on an ace from Strakova.

Howard clawed its way back to within three, 9-6, before a 6-2 Hampton run put the Lady Pirates up 15-8. Sophomore outside hitter Allysa Medina (Menifee, Calif.) later recorded a kill to give the Lady Pirates a 17-11 lead.

Howard cut the lead to 18-14, but Hampton closed the third set on a 7-1 run, and an ace from Pagan gave the Lady Pirates their third consecutive straight-set win over a MEAC opponent.

Hampton hit .347 for the match, recording 34 kills and just eight errors in 75 total attacks. Both teams had five aces and 13 service errors, though the Lady Pirates held a 6.0-2.0 edge in blocks.

Howard (13-6, 2-1 MEAC) hit just .083 for the match (28 kills, 21 errors in 84 attacks); the Bison are the third team Hampton has held below .100 hitting so far this season.

Katherine Broussard led Howard with nine kills.

"It was an exciting win against a tough young team in a hostile environment," Weatherington said. "You can never really understand a rivalry until you've experienced it first-hand. I'm pleased to be on the successful end of a hard-fought match.

"We played with great Pirate Pride today!"

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Sunday, Oct. 13, when they return to Holland Hall to take on Maryland Eastern Shore at 3 p.m. For more information on Hampton University volleyball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.