PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - TaKenya Stafford hammered down another 22 kills while Sophia Bertotti Metoyer finished with 16 as Coppin State's volleyball team rallied to defeat Maryland Eastern Shore, 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 28-30, 25-20, 15-8) in MEAC action on Sunday afternoon. The Eagles now stand at 6-11 overall and 2-0 in the MEAC while the Hawks fell to 6-7 on the year and 1-1 in league play.
Stafford hit .268 on 56 attempts and added eight digs, matching the 22 kills she had against Delaware State two days prior. Bertotti Metoyer's 16 kills were a career-high, hitting an impressive .394 with two aces while adding a season-high six blocks.
Ezgi Kucuk also finished in double figures with 11 kills, followed by Gabriela Zuquelo with eight and both McKenzie Parks and Deviana Walker with three. Zuquelo was credited with 11 digs, two aces and three blocks.
Kahea Carvalho assisted on 29 of Coppin's 66 kills and Azul Pilahg finished with 17 as the Eagles outhit Eastern Shore, .219 to .180. Carvalho also had a pair of aces.
In the back row, Coco Figueroa led all players with 18 digs and Aya Rawlins served up a season-high three aces.
In the opening set, neither team had much breathing room before the Hawks were able to open a 16-12 lead. Stafford recorded four kills down the stretch to tie the score at 23 before Pilahg aces the Hawks and fed Stafford for the game-winner.
The Hawks took the second and third sets in a pair of nailbiters before Coppin took control of the match late in the fourth. Trailing 17-14, Zuquelo recorded a pair of kills and a block to tie the score at 18 before Bertotti Metoyer led the Eagles on another 4-0 run to take a 22-19 lead. Following a block by the Hawks, Coppin scored three-straight points to force a fifth set.
Coppin scored seven of the first nine points to open the deciding set with Bertotti Metoyer recording a kill and a pair of blocks. After going up 12-7, Stafford and Kucuk tallied kills before a block by Bertotti Metoyer finished UMES off with a kill.
The Eagles return home for three-straight conference matches, starting with South Carolina State on Friday, October 4 at 6 pm.
