NORFOLK, Va. – North Carolina A&T volleyball landed two players on the preseason All-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) team including the preseason player of the year.

Senior Edie Brewer (6-0, setter, West Chester, Ohio), who was named the co-player of the year last season, was named MEAC preseason player of the year through voting by MEAC head coaches and sports information directors. Brewer and senior teammate Courteney Pitt (6-2, outside hitter, Farmville, N.C.) landed on the seven-member preseason team.

The Aggies, who are coming a 16-15 overall record and 13-1 mark in the MEAC, will not play this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a possibility they could compete in the spring, however, with the season potentially starting in January and ending in March at the MEAC tournament in Norfolk, Va.
The Aggies were picked to win the southern division for the second straight season after compiling 20 of 22 first-place votes for 98 points.

"We are very excited and proud of Edie and Courteney for being named to the MEAC preseason team," head coach Hal Clifton said. "Both are very deserving players and it's nice to see them recognized and honored by the coaches and SIDs in the conference."

Brewer became the first Aggie to receive American Volleyball Coaches Association honor as she was named all-South Region honorable mention last season. She led the MEAC and was second in the nation with eight triple doubles. Brewer recorded single-season career highs in kills (321), assists (654), digs (289) and hitting percentage (.268).

Pitt set a personal-best last season with 384 kills (3.40 kills per set) to rank fourth in the MEAC. h in the MEAC. She enters her last season 26 kills from her 1,000^th career kill.  She would be the third Aggie to accomplish the feat.

Following the Aggies in the preseason poll in the southern division was Florida A&M (73 pts), Bethune-Cookman (57 pts), N.C. Central (52 points) and S.C. State (20 points). Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman each received a first-place vote.

"Being picked to finish first in the southern division is a testament to the work our entire team has put in the past year and years," Clifton said.  "I'm not sure we have had this distinction before, but we know teams will be coming after us. We will be facing some very good teams in our conference.  We are prepared to accept the challenge and look forward to when we can get on the court and compete."

N.C. A&T has finished at or above .500 three straight seasons. N.C. A&T lost in the semifinals of the MEAC tournament, 3-2 to Morgan State. The Aggies made their first postseason tournament appearance in school history when they earned an at-large bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championships (NIVC), where they lost their opening round contest to Troy on the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta.

In the northern division, Howard was picked first with 20 of the 22 first place votes for 117 points. The Bison were followed by Coppin State (74 pts), Morgan State (67 pts), Delaware State (67 pts), Maryland Eastern Shore (65 pts) and Norfolk State (30 pts).