Eagles Break 17-Year Hitting Percentage Record, But Lafayette Prevails In 5

EASTON, Pa. – The Eagles hit .294 for the match, breaking the previous record by .002 percentage points, but the Lafayette College Leopards found a way to take a hard fought, up-and-down contest in five sets.
 
The Basics

• Final Score: Coppin State 2, Lafayette 3
• Records: Coppin State 1-5 (0-0 MEAC), Lafayette 2-2 (0-0 Patriot)
• Location: Easton, PA – Kirby Sports Center
• Series History: Lafayette leads 1-9

How It Happened
First Set

• Coppin drew first blood when Chelsie Kolibar started the game off with a service ace, before Lafayette came back with a kill from Grace Tulevich. This would set the tone for a back and forth first set.
• The Leopards and Eagles traded blows throughout the set, neither team enjoying more than a three-point lead.
• Two consecutive service errors by the Eagles set them behind 15-18 before Tim Walsh called a quick timeout.
• CSU had a balanced attack, having six different Eagles record a kill, but to no avail as the Leopards came away with a 25-21 win.

Second Set

• Coppin State responded quickly, gaining a 7-3 head start including Asia Stennis' pair of aces.
• The Lady Eagles keep a steady distance from Lafayette as an 18-12 advantage forced a Leopards timeout.
• The Leopards managed to claw its way back to within four at 20-16 before a Coppin timeout stopped the bleeding.
• Lafayette originally held a 2-1 lead, but that was the last time the Eagles would trail, staving off many Leopards rallies for a comfortable 25-16 win, tying the series at one.

Third Set

• Coppin kept the momentum, firing out of the gate to go ahead 9-2 before a Lafayette timeout.
• Lafayette roared back with four consecutive points to force the Eagles to do the same at 9-6.
• Coppin State answered yet again, tallying six unanswered points and 12 out of 14 to bury the Leopards and take a 2-1 set advantage.

Fourth Set

• The two squads jockeyed for position midway through the set, with each team gaining an early edge, before the other would answer back with a prolonged rally.
• Lafayette seized control after burning a timeout tied at 12, reeling off a back-breaking 7-1 spurt, thus sealing a winner-take-all fifth set.

Fifth Set

• Lafayette College leaned on the attacking prowess of freshman Grace Tulevech and junior Katrina Ruggiero, who delivered four kills each in the final frame.
• The Leopards never trailed after Coppin got on the board first, winning the set 15-10 and the match 3-2.

Inside the Numbers

• Coppin set a school record for hitting percentage in a five-set match, striking a .294, besting the previous high of .292 in 2001.
• Coppin State saw nine different Eagles notch a kill, including three (Asia Stennis, Miajavon Coleman, and Sydney Hicks) tallying double-digits.
• Asia Stennis finished the match one dig shy of her second double-double in three games, racking up 18 kills to go along with nine digs. 
• Miajavon Coleman formed a dynamic 1-2 punch with Stennis, garnering 13 kills of her own, tying a personal best. 
• Brianna Lang continued her breakout freshman campaign, averaging an impressive 9.2 assists per set.
• The Lady Eagles delivered nine aces on the day, eclipsing more than half its total in the first five games combined (17).
• Chelsie Kolibar built off her performance earlier in the day, registering 13 digs (a season-high) to bring her daily total to 19.
• Aislynn Weaver earned her first three aces of her career including back-to-back serves in the second set.
• Sydney Hicks had a career day, recording 13 kills while hitting .455, both season-highs.
• Katrina Ruggiero was a stud for the Leopards, hitting .421, along with 19 kills, four digs and three blocks

Who's Next?

• CSU will conclude the Crosstown Invitational tomorrow afternoon when they battle Manhattan College at 1 p.m. and co-host Lehigh University at 4 p.m.