Delaware State’s bid for the school’s first MEAC volleyball championship in 35 years ended in frustrating fashion with a 3-1 loss to Howard in the conference tournament final at HU’s Burr Gym on Sunday evening.

The Bison bounced back to claim their sixth MEAC championship in the last seven years (20-25, 25-21, 25-20, 25-20) and earn the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament.

The Bison led by as many as nine points in set three and held off a late Delaware State charge to win 25-20 and open up a 2-1 lead in the match.

There were eight ties and four lead changes in the fourth set before Howard pulled away for another 25-20 win to complete the comeback.

The loss snapped a six-match winning streak for Delaware State, which fell to 26-4 this season, with two of the losses coming to the Bison.

Howard won its 12th in a row against MEAC opponents to improve to 18-12 this season.

Delaware State enjoyed its best regular season in team history this year, highlighted by a team-record 26 wins, a share of the MEAC regular season title, a perfect 13-0 mark at home, a record 16 straight wins and 20 shutout victories.

DSU’s Bruce Atkinson was selected as the 2021 MEAC Coach of the Year, while Alondra Maldonado was named to the All-MEAC first team, and teammates Sydney Lewis and Malgorzata Andersohn were second-team picks.

Maldonado and Valeria Otero were named to the MEAC All-Tournament team. This was Delaware State’s first MEAC Tournament finals appearance since 2010.

College field hockey

Marshall helps Northwestern to title: Cape Henlopen High grad Alia Marshall scored her fourth goal of the season as Northwestern topped Liberty, 2-0, for the program’s first NCAA Division I national title in field hockey on Sunday.

Marshall’s goal at the 35:53 mark broke a scoreless tie for the Wildcats.

Liberty is coached by Milford High grad Nikki Parsley-Blocker, who played for Northwestern in college. The Flames, who were making the program’s first appearance in the national Final Four, finish the season at 20-3.

Four Hens make all-region: The Delaware field hockey team had four players earn National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Region honors.

Sophomore Julia Duffhuis earned her second career NFHCA Division I Mid-Atlantic Region first-team honor. Fifth-year senior Femke Strien earned her third Mid-Atlantic Region first-team nod.

Junior Ashlyn Carr (Delmar) was named to the second team. She ranked fourth on the team with 19 points on four goals and 11 assists.

Sophomore Kiki Oudshoorn joins Carr on the second team.

College basketball

UD’s Dickey honored: After pouring in 94 points over three games played in seven days, Delaware senior guard/forward Jasmine Dickey was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week.

Dickey averaged 31.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per contest while shooting 49.3 percent (37-of-75) from the field, 45.5 percent (5-of-11) from three-point territory and 78.9 percent (15-of-19) from the free-throw line.

On the season, Dickey is averaging 25.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks while shooting 42.9 percent (48-of-112) from the field.