NORFOLK, Va. – Coppin State's
TaKenya Stafford and
Cherisse Atilano both received MEAC Volleyball weekly awards, it was announced by the league office on Monday afternoon. For a MEAC-high third time this season, Stafford received Player of the Week honors while Atilano picked up Rookie of the Week accolades for the first time.
A redshirt senior from Los Angeles, Calif., Stafford averaged 3.80 kills on .222 hitting to go with 1.90 digs, four aces and four blocks, leading the Eagles to a 3-0 record. Stafford opened the week with 13 kills, four aces and two blocks in a sweep of South Carolina State. She then delivered in the clutch over the weekend, recording eight kills and four digs in the decisive fourth set at UMES before adding a double-double in a sweep of Delaware State.
For the season, Stafford leads the MEAC with 12 double-doubles, establishing her claim as the top all-around player in the league. Stafford leads the MEAC with 294 total kills and 333 total points, ranking third in both kills/set (3.63) and points/set (4.11) while sitting tenth in digs/set (2.41). She's the only player in the league ranked in both kills and digs, and leads the MEAC with 4.00 kills/set in conference matches.
Stafford recently went over the 1,000 kill mark in both her collegiate career and at Coppin. She now ranks fifth in CSU history with 1,073 kills and ninth with 812 digs.
Atilano recorded 2.70 kills on .436 hitting to go with 2.90 digs, three aces and a pair of blocks in Coppin's perfect 3-0 week. A freshman from Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Atilano started with six kills on just 16 swings along with nine digs against South Carolina State. She followed with 12 kills on .500 hitting and 14 digs in a four-set win at UMES before closing the week with nine kills on .471 hitting and six digs in a sweep of Delaware State.
Putting up one of the best freshman seasons in CSU history, Atilano ranks seventh in the MEAC in both kills/set (2.59) and points/set (3.05). Her 210 kills and 247 total points both rank fifth in the conference while she leads Coppin with 26 aces and is third in digs/set (2.37). In conference play, Atilano ranks seventh in the MEAC in kills/set (2.64), hitting percentage (.304) and digs/set (2.86), eighth in points/set (3.18) and ninth in aces/set (0.41).
The Eagles currently sit in first place in the MEAC at 12-9 overall and 6-0 in league play. CSU returns to action on Friday, October 17 at second-place Morgan State (7-8, 4-1 MEAC) at 6:00 pm.
