Young Eagles Ready To Take Flight Into New Season

BALTIMORE, Md. - Coppin State's volleyball team will begin its latest chapter as it travels to North Carolina for the UNC Asheville Invitational this Friday. The Eagles open against the host Bulldogs Friday night (7pm), while rounding out the weekend with Appalachian State (12:30pm) and The Citadel (4pm) on Saturday afternoon.

UNC Asheville is coming off a 13-15 campaign where it finished 9-7 in the Big South Conference. The Bulldogs are led by All-Big South first teamer Cara Guthrie who paced the team with 391 kills along with finishing 3rd in points and kills per set in the conference. Coppin State faced Asheville once before in program history, dropping the match 3-2 in the Henson's Hawk Invite last season.

Appalachian State posted a 12-20 season with a 6-10 record in the Sun Belt last year.  Second Team All-Sun Belt selection Melissa McMath contributed a team high 3.08 kills per set and 342 kills as well as notching 18 double-digit kill matches during the 2017 season. The Lady Eagles are meeting Appalachian State for first time since 1992 and are trailing in the series history 0-1.

The Citadel finished last season at 8-26 including a 2-14 Southern Conference record. The Bulldogs are led by Grad Student Logan Smith, she begins the year sixth in school history in assists (1,213) and seventh in average assists per set (5.32). Coppin has battled The Citadel three times in program history, first since 2001, and are still searching for their first series victory.

You can follow all the action for all three matches here: https://uncabulldogs.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary

Fans can also watch the match live on ESPN+ by clicking here.  The cost to watch is $4.99 per month but fans can receive a free seven day trial by clicking here.

2018 Season Outlook
 
Coppin State second-year head coach Tim Walsh ushers in a new era for the Eagles volleyball program as he returns just four student-athletes with a plethora of newcomers for the 2019 season. 
 
Despite less than a handful of players coming back from last season's 4-26 club, three of them were starters with Asia Stennis, Christa Johnson and Marlena Guice coming back to campus.
 
Stennis had a breakout sophomore season where she led the team with 262 kills and three double-doubles.  Arguably the best all-around player on the Eagles a year ago, Stennis also finished with 200 digs and was one of the team-leaders in blocks and service aces.
 
"Asia is a six-rotation player and we expect her to lead this young, talented team by example this season," said Walsh.
 
Guice enters her senior season at Coppin and also brings a solid all-around game to the table while Johnson was a mainstay up front for the Eagles and led Coppin with 45 blocks.
 
"Marlena is the lone senior and has one of the strongest serves on the team, and Johnson, who is also confident playing on the right side, had a great spring in the weight room which makes her a contender for a starting position in the Fall.
 
Also returning this season is sophomore Elanna Nellis, who can play in the middle or on the right side, and is one of the stronger blockers on the team.
 
Among the 11 newcomers to this year's roster are Miajavon Coleman, a middle/outside hitter from San Antonio, Texas, Lauryn Harrell, another middle/outside hitter from Gilbert, Ariz., and Sydney Hicks, an outside hitter from Ashburn, Va.  The trio of freshman are expected to make an immediate impact offensively this season and will add some much needed athleticism to the lineup.
 
Two freshman setters will also battle for time quarterbacking the offense in Brianna Lang and Aislynn Weaver.  Out of Atlanta, Lang led her school to back-to-back State Playoff appearances with a Semifinals appearance as a senior.  Weaver was one of the top setters in Utah and also took her team to the State Semifinals in her final season.
 
Walsh also added an international flavor to this year's team with Chelsie Kolibar and Rebekka Hauri expected to play major roles in the back row. 
 
Kolibar was a two-time All Star at Lethbridge Collegiate institute in Alberta, Canada and led her team to a postseason and zone championship as a senior.  Kolibar has also seen significant time from the setter position in her career.
 
A native of Berne, Switzerland, Hauri attended Gymnasium Hofwil and helped her U17 squad to a first place finish at the Swiss Championships in 2014.  Two years later, Hauri took her U19 team to a third place finish.
 
Walsh expects immediate impact from Coleman, a First Team All-District Selection; Harrell, who took home Regional Player of the Year accolades, and Hicks, a two-time All-Conference recipient up front with Kolibar and Hauri in the back row.
 
Also expected to compete for time are fellow newcomers Khala Cameron (Austintown, Ohio), Jordan Celestine (Stockbridge, Ga.), DeMia Goddard (Fort Washington, Md.) and Macy Havill (Gainesville, Va.).
 
The Eagles will compete in four tournaments to open the season, beginning with the UNC Asheville Invitational on Aug. 24-25 against the host Bulldogs, Appalachian State and The Citadel.  Coppin will also host MEAC South members North Carolina Central, South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T on Sept. 21-22 at the Charm City Classic presented by THB Bagel & Deli.
 
Walsh and the Eagles face open MEAC North Division competition at Norfolk State on Sept. 28.  Coppin's MEAC home opener is set for October 4 where it will take on crosstown rival Morgan State in its first of seven-straight home matches.