CATONSVILLE, Md. – Christa Johnson recorded an errorless, career-high 14 kills to lead the Coppin State volleyball team to a thrilling five-set victory at UMBC (20-25, 25-23, 25-23, 13-25, 15-9) Tuesday night. Johnson hit a match-high .583 and was also credited with a team-high four blocks.
The Basics
Final Score: Coppin State 3, UMBC 2
Records: Coppin State (6-10), UMBC (3-11)
Location: Catonsville, Md. (UMBC Event Center)
Series History: UMBC Leads, 14-3
First Set
- UMBC led from start to finish, opening the set on a 6-1 run.
- Coppin clawed its way back to a single point at 10-9, but the Retrievers ran off seven-straight points to pull away at 17-9.
- The Eagles continued to fight and used a late 4-0 run sparked by a pair of kills from Christa Johnson to get within, 21-19.
- The hosts stopped the bleeding with two-straight points and took the opening set, 25-20.
Second Set
- The teams traded leads throughout the set as neither team led by more than three points.
- Coppin led by three multiple times during the midpoint of the frame with the latest coming at 16-13 after a kill by Salma Gonzalez ignited a 3-0 run.
- UMBC responded with a 6-1 run to regain the lead at 19-17.
- CSU tied the score are 20 and then used kills from Christa Johnson and Sydney Hicks as well as an ace from Paola Caten to go up 23-22.
- The Retrievers tied it up with a kill, but the Navy & Gold got another kill from Johnson and an Ashley Roman ace to win the set, 25-23.
Third Set
- Coppin led most of the way but a late 3-0 run by UMBC gave the hosts a 22-20 lead, its first advantage of the frame.
- Lauryn Harrell stopped the bleeding with a kill and a pair of Paola Caten aces sandwiched a kill by Miajavon Coleman to give the Eagles a set point.
- Following a service error, CSU finished the set at 25-23 with another kill from Coleman.
Fourth Set
- The teams traded leads early in the frame but after a kill by Jordan Celestine tied the match at 5-5, UMBC pulled away with an 8-1 run.
- Coppin got no closer than five points as the Retrievers forced a fifth and deciding set.
Fifth Set
- Coppin got out to a 3-0 lead with a kill and an ace by Brianna Lang, as well as a UMBC attack error.
- The Retrievers answered with three consecutive points to tie the score and following a kill by Christa Johnson, the Retrievers tied it back up at 4-4.
- CSU then ran off eight-straight points as Sydney Hicks and Jordan Celestine recorded a pair of kills while Celestine and Salma Gonzalez combined for back-to-back blocks.
- The hosts attempted to make it interesting with four-straight points to pull within 12-8, but a pair of kills from Miajavon Coleman and another from Celestine sealed a 15-9 win for the Eagles.
Inside the Numbers
- Christa Johnson led three Eagles in double figure kills with a career-high 14 without an error to hit .583 on 24 swings. Johnson also led CSU with four blocks, matching Jordan Celestine, and was credited with a pair of digs.
- Miajavon Coleman added 12 kills to go with a career-high 16 digs for a double-double and Sydney Hicks added another 11 kills.
- Celestine also chipped in on the offensive end with eight kills while hitting .300 on the night.
- Setter Brianna Lang also notched a double-double with 44 assists and ten digs while also adding four kills without an error, two aces and a pair of blocks.
- Defensively, Ashley Roman was credited with a match-high 22 digs and classmate Paola Caten finished with ten digs. Caten also served up five aces.
- This is just the third win for Coppin over UMBC in 17 meetings. The Eagles' last win against the Retrievers came in 2014 when CSU took both matches.
Up Next: Coppin returns to action this weekend as it hosts MEAC rivals North Carolina A&T at 7 pm on Friday, October 4, and North Carolina Central at 1 pm on Sunday, October 6.
