PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Coppin State's volleyball team split a pair of matches in the final day of the 15
th Annual Providence Friar Classic on Saturday, sweeping Fairleigh Dickinson just after falling to the host Friars in four sets.
The Basics
Final Scores: Coppin State 1, Providence 3 / Coppin State 3, Fairleigh Dickinson 0
Records: Coppin State (3-6), Providence (5-4), Fairleigh Dickinson (0-10)
Location: Providence, R.I. (Alumni Hall)
Series History: Providence Leads, 9-0 / Fairleigh Dickinson Leads, 4-2
First Set (vs. Fairleigh Dickinson)
- The teams fought for position early in the set but after FDU tied the score at five with a kill, Coppin went on a 5-0 run to force a Knights timeout. Salma Gonzalez keyed the stretch with a kill, a block and an assist.
- FDU rallied back and eventually tied the score at 17 and 18.
- Kills by Sydney Hicks and Jordan Celestine gave CSU a 20-18 advantage, forcing another FDU timeout which prompted a 5-0 run for the Knights and a 23-20 lead.
- Coppin maintained its composure and tied the score at 23 as kills by Miajavon Coleman sandwiched an ace by Rebekka Hauri.
- The Knights had the first set point after recording a kill, but Coleman recorded back-to-back kills and went up with Christa Johnson for a block to take the first set, 26-24.
Second Set (vs. Fairleigh Dickinson)
- Coppin ran away with the second set after FDU stayed close for the first few servers.
- After a Knights kill cut the Eagles' lead to just 7-6, Coppin ran off six-straight points before a service errors.
- Following the error, Coppin scored another five consecutive points to take a 18-7 lead and wound up winning the frame, 25-11.
- Miajavon Coleman already had a double-double after the set, recording 17 kills and ten digs in a pair of frames.
- Coppin hit a whopping .375 for the set and the defense also came up huge, holding FDU to a -.059 percentage.
Third Set (vs. Fairleigh Dickinson)
- The final set was much like the first as neither team built a substantial lead, but once again, Coppin came away with the victory.
- With the score tied at 20, Lauryn Harrell had a pair of kills at either end of an ace by Chelsie Kolibar.
- FDU scored a pair of points in the service game before the Eagles finished it off with a kill by Miajavon Coleman and blocks by Harrell and Christa Johnson.
Inside the Numbers (vs. Fairleigh Dickinson)
- Miajavon Coleman recorded her third double-double of the season, smashing 21 kills while matching a career-high with 13 digs to go with a pair of blocks. Coleman hit .273 for the match.
- Salma Gonzalez had her best match of the season, recording a double-double 29 assists and 14 digs, both of which were season-highs. She also had a pair of kills, a pair of service aces and a block.
- The duo of Jordan Celestine and Lauryn Harrell also played as big role in the offense, combining for 15 kills and a .345 hitting percentage. Celestine recorded eight kills and Harrell recorded seven, both of which were season-highs. The pair also had three blocks apiece, matching Christa Johnson for a team-high as Johnson also had three kills.
- The back row of Ashley Roman, Chelsie Kolibar and Rebekka Hauri also played a factor with Roman recording 12 digs and Kolibar with nine. Kolibar also was credited with four service aces, while Roman and Hauri had two each.
- Coppin hit .228 while holding FDU to just .078 which is a season-low for an Eagles opponent.
First Set (at Providence)
- The teams were tied at ten, but Coppin ran off seven-straight points with a pair of kills by Miajavon Coleman, one by Christa Johnson and an ace from Brianna Lang.
- Providence did not go down easily as the Friars clawed their way back, pulling to within 22-19 and 23-20.
- Salma Gonzalez recorded a kill to force a set point, and after a Providence kill, the Eagles won the frame, 25-21 on a block by Johnson and Lauryn Harrell.
Second Set (at Providence)
- The early portion of the set was much like the first as both teams battled for position and were tied at 12.
- Providence then scored four-straight points before a kill by Paola Caten, but then scored another six-straight and took the set, 25-15.
Third Set (at Providence)
- Coppin raced out to a 6-0 lead with a pair of kills each by Miajavon Coleman and Salma Gonzalez to force a timeout by the hosts.
- The Eagles maintained a large lead until a 4-0 Friars run made it just a 12-11 score.
- Lauryn Harrell stopped the bleeding with a kill, but Providence took its first lead of the set at 14-13.
- Another kill by Harrell and a Friars error gave CSU back the advantage but a pair of 3-0 Providence runs gave the hosts the advantage before closing it out at 25-19 with four-straight points.
Fourth Set (at Providence)
- Providence used a pair of 3-0 runs early on to take an 8-3 lead.
- Coppin battled back to pull within two points at a couple of points halfway through the frame but once again, the Friars used a pair of 3-0 runs to pull away and take the final set, 25-18.
Inside the Numbers (at Providence)
- Miajavon Coleman once again led the Eagles in kills with 13 while Lauryn Harrell recorded seven and Salma Gonzalez chipped in with five. Coleman and Gonzalez also came up big on the defensive side with seven and eight digs, respectively. Gonzalez also had a pair of blocks, as did Harrell, taking second on the team to Christa Johnson's four.
- Gonzalez also saw the bulk of the time at setter and was credited with 15 assists as Brianna Lang assisted on ten kills but served up three aces.
- Ashley Roman was credited with a team-high ten digs as Coppin hit just .092 to Providence's .206.
Up Next: Coppin will make a local trip to face Loyola University Maryland on Tuesday, September 17. First serve from Reitz Arena is set for 7 pm.
