STORRS, Conn. – The Coppin State University volleyball team turned in a dominant defensive performance Friday night, defeating UConn, 3-1 (23-25, 25-23, 25-12, 25-18), at the UConn Volleyball Center on Friday night as part of the White & Blue Tournament.  Winners of four-straight, the Eagles have evened their record at 5-5 overall.
 
CSU overcame a first-set setback by controlling the match at the net, limiting the Huskies to a .066 hitting percentage while recording 16 total blocks. Coppin State also held UConn to a negative .182 hitting percentage in the third set and .000 in the fourth.
 
Offensively, the Eagles hit .186 for the match and finished with 41 kills, but it was their defensive pressure that proved decisive. Coppin State held UConn to just 45 kills while forcing the Huskies into 36 attack errors. The Eagles also held advantages in blocks, 16-10, digs, 46-40, and service aces, 6-2.
 
Coppin State received a standout performance from Eva Rovello, who recorded a double-double with 26 assists and 14 digs. Rovello also added five kills on 11 attacks for a .455 hitting percentage and contributed four blocks, including two solo blocks.
 
Kayden Cupid was a force at the net, finishing with eight kills on just nine attacks for a remarkable .778 hitting percentage. Cupid also registered a match-high six blocks, helping spearhead Coppin State's defensive effort against the Huskies.
 
Cherisse Atilano led all Eagles with 12 kills and added six digs and an ace, while Ivanna Luna chipped in seven kills and four blocks.
 
Coppin State trailed after the opening set despite hitting .233 in the opening frame and leading throughout. The Eagles answered in the second set, overcoming a .069 hitting percentage by making key defensive plays to even the match at one set apiece, 25-23.
 
The third set was where Coppin State seized control.
 
The Eagles exploded for a .368 hitting percentage while limiting UConn to a - .182 mark. Coppin State recorded nine kills against only two errors in the frame and held the Huskies to just 12 points, racing to a 25-12 victory.
 
Coppin State carried that momentum into the fourth set, hitting .143 while UConn managed just .000. The Eagles closed out the match, 25-18, to secure the four-set victory.
 
The Eagles' 16 blocks marked a major difference throughout the match, with Cupid leading the way with six, followed by Luna and Rovello with four apiece. Coppin State also received 11 digs from Andrea Cintron and six each from Atilano and Coco Figueroa. Figueroa matched defensive specialist Aya Rawlins with a pair of aces while holding one of the top serving teams nationally to just a pair of aces.
 
Coppin will play Rhode Island (2:30 pm) and Merrimack (6:30 pm) on Saturday to conclude the Tournament before playing at New Haven at 3 pm on Sunday.