BALTIMORE – TaKenya Stafford notched a double-double, recording 22 kills on .513 hitting to go with 11 digs to lead Coppin State's volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-14, 23-25, 25-15, 25-18) victory over Delaware State on Friday night at PEC Arena. The Eagles now stand at 5-11 overall with the win in both teams' conference opener.
Gabriela Zuquelo also had a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs to go with three blocks and
Coco Figueroa was credited with a career-high 20 assists.
Ezgi Kucuk had arguably her best match of the season with seven kills.
Kahea Carvalho and
Azul Pilahg tallied 24 and 18 assists, respectively, leading Coppin to a .286 hitting percentage while holding the Hornets to a .129 percentage. Pilahg also served four aces, followed by Carvalho and Figueroa with three apiece. Zuquelo and
Aya Rawlins were also credited with aces.
Sophia Bertotti Metoyer added four kills and a team-high four blocks and
McKenzie Parks chipped in with three blocks.
In the opener, Coppin pulled away with a 9-1 run to take a commanding 21-12 lead. After a Hornets kill, Stafford punched down a pair of kills before
Payton Swinton finished it off with one of her own.
Coppin was unable to hold on in the second set despite holding six-point leads on a couple occasions. DSU tied it up at 17 with a 7-1 run before Coppin ran off three-straight points. Once again the Hornets went on a run and closed the frame on a 6-2 run to tie the match.
The Eagles began to pull away early in the third set, taking a 9-3 lead as Kucuk and Zuquelo had a pair of points, as did Pilahg on a pair of aces. Delaware State was able to close to within four but got no closer.
In the fourth set, Coppin was clinging to an 11-10 lead before Bertotti Metoyer and
Deviana Walker combined for a block. Zuquelo then had a pair of kills and it was all Coppin from there.
Up Next: Coppin travels to face Maryland Eastern Shore for a 1 pm start on Sunday, September 29. The match will air on the Delmarva Sports Network.
