CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Coppin State University volleyball team capped the Zips Invitational in record-setting fashion Saturday afternoon, posting the highest hitting percentage in program history for a four-set match while cruising past Cleveland State, 3-1, at Woodling Gym.
The Eagles (4-5) defeated the Vikings by set scores of 25-21, 23-25, 25-18 and 25-13, closing the tournament with their third consecutive victory.
Coppin State's offensive attack was nearly unstoppable throughout the afternoon, as the Eagles finished with 57 kills on 120 attacks with just 11 errors for a .383 hitting percentage.
The .383 mark established a new Coppin State school record for hitting percentage in a four-set match, surpassing the previous record of .345 set against North Carolina A&T on Oct. 2, 1992.
The Eagles were particularly dominant in the second set, recording 21 kills against just two errors on 40 attacks for a .475 hitting percentage. Coppin State followed with 14 kills in the fourth set while hitting .344 to put the match away.
Ivanna Luna led the offensive charge with a match-high 13 kills while hitting an impressive .455.
Nia Curry added 12 kills, while
Cherisse Atilano contributed 11 kills and 14 digs for her third double-double of the Tournament and fourth of the season.
Kendall Minta was nearly flawless offensively, recording seven kills on 11 attacks without committing an error to hit .636. She also paced the Eagles at the net with a team-high five blocks.
Rori Gray hit a perfect 1.000 with six kills on six swings.
Kayden Cupid also hit .500 with five kills and three blocks in just two sets.
Eva Rovello orchestrated the record-setting attack with 41 assists, while also adding three kills, three aces, nine digs and four blocks.
Coco Figueroa contributed 10 assists, six digs and two aces.
Coppin State opened the match with an 11-2 advantage in kills and hit .409 in the first set, taking a 25-21 victory. Cleveland State answered in the second, but the Eagles responded by hitting .269 in the third set and .344 in the fourth to seize control.
With the score tied at 13-13 in the fourth, Coppin State closed the match on a 12-0 run, scoring the final 12 points to complete the 3-1 victory.
The Eagles return to action at UConn's For the White & Blue Tournament on September 18-19. Coppin opens up with the host Huskies on Friday night before taking on Rhode Island (2:30 pm) and Merrimack (6:30 pm). On the way back to Baltimore on Sunday, CSU will face New Haven in a 3 pm start.
