STORRS, Conn. — Coppin State University women’s volleyball extended its winning streak to six matches Saturday with victories over Rhode Island and Merrimack at UConn’s White & Blue Tournament. The two wins at the UConn Volleyball Center improved Coppin State to 7-5 overall.
Coppin State defeated Rhode Island 25-10, 25-27, 25-19, 25-23 before sweeping Merrimack 25-20, 28-26, 25-11. The Eagles have now gone 3-0 in back-to-back weekend classics, with additional victories over UConn, Akron, Cleveland State and Valparaiso.
Victory Over Rhode Island
Coppin State finished with a .250 hitting percentage against Rhode Island, compared with .123 for the Rams. The Eagles also held advantages in kills, 52-44; aces, 8-6; blocks, 16-9; assists, 48-38; and digs, 60-53.
Kayden Cupid and Ivanna Luna led Coppin State with 11 kills apiece, while Deviana Walker added eight. Cupid recorded a team-high seven blocks, Kendall Minta added six and Eva Rovello contributed five.
Coco Figueroa anchored the defensive effort with a match-high 24 digs and four service aces. Rovello finished with 46 assists and eight digs, while Karina Diaz added seven digs and two aces.
Sweep of Merrimack
Coppin State closed the day with a three-set victory over Merrimack. The Eagles hit .313 for the match, including .471 in the third set, when Merrimack hit minus-.080.
Coppin State held advantages in kills, 49-35; aces, 3-1; blocks, 6-4; assists, 41-30; and digs, 47-42. Cherisse Atilano led all players with 15 kills while hitting .281, reaching 500 career kills during the match.
Ivanna Luna added 10 kills, while Pamela De Jesus Tejedor recorded eight kills and hit .538 on 13 swings. Eva Rovello posted 37 assists, six kills, a .500 hitting percentage and two blocks.
Coco Figueroa led Coppin State with 10 digs, Atilano added nine and Karina Diaz finished with eight. Kayden Cupid contributed three blocks, and Rori Gray and Rovello each recorded two.
Next Match for Coppin State Women’s Volleyball
Coppin State is scheduled to play at New Haven at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20, following the Eagles’ two victories in Storrs.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Coppin State women’s volleyball combined balanced offense, blocking and defense to win both matches at UConn’s White & Blue Tournament. The six-match winning streak includes a four-set victory over Rhode Island and a sweep of Merrimack, improving the team’s overall record to 7-5.
Atilano’s 500th career kill marked a key milestone during the Merrimack victory. Coppin State’s next match is at New Haven on Sunday.
Source: Original report
