Match 1: No. 3 Coppin State 3, No. 2 Bethune-Cookman 2
BALTIMORE, Md. – Coppin State rallied to defeat Bethune-Cookman, 3-2, in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) quarterfinal match Friday morning inside of the Physical Education Complex.
After Bethune-Cookman won two of the first three sets, the Eagles stormed back to advance to the conference semifinals for a second consecutive season by winning the final two games. Coppin State claimed the match 16-25, 25-20, 12-25, 25-18, 15-11 to improve its overall record to 14-13 on the season. Bethune-Cookman finished the season with a 10-20 record.
Junior first team All-MEAC selection Cindy Okpegbue led Coppin State with a match-high 22 kills. It was the 10th time in her career that Okpegbue finished with at least 20 kills in a match. Coppin State freshman Maya Horner delivered a career-high 16 kills.
In finishing with a season-best 83 digs, the Eagles had four players record at least 10 digs led by Nicole Malave-Adams’ career best 24. Senior second-team All-MEAC selection Gabrielle Otero had 18 digs while freshman Bailee Jackson and junior third-team All-MEAC honoree Chelsee Sauni recorded 12 digs each. Sauni also had 42 assists for the Eagles.
The Wildcats were paced by Delicia Pierre’s double-double of 15 kills and 13 blocks. She also added a match-high four blocks. Destiny Hudson collected 13 kills for Bethune-Cookman. Normaine Rolon had a team best 23 digs for the Wildcats.
Coppin State will meet Northern Division co-champion Hampton Saturday afternoon at 12:00 p.m.
Match 2: No. 1 Hampton 3, No. 4 North Carolina Central 0
BALTIMORE, Md. – Vendula Strakova recorded 18 kills and 10 digs for her 18th double-double of the season as top-seeded Hampton rolled to the semifinals with a 3-0 win over North Carolina Central in the quarterfinals of the 2014 MEAC Volleyball Championship at the Physical Education Complex.
The Lady Pirates, the defending tournament champions, swept the Lady Eagles 25-11, 20-20, 25-12.
Hampton (19-11) will meet Coppin State in the semifinals on Saturday at Noon.
Strakova hit .467 to pace the Lady Pirates offensively. Kitja Megne registered 19 assists, while Allysa Medina led the way on the defense with 13 digs.
Kelsey Murphy finished with eight kills and four digs, while Da’sha Brown added nine digs. North Carolina Central concluded the season with a 4-25 record.
Match 3: No. 1 Florida A&M 3, No. 4 Morgan State 2
BALTIMORE, Md. – Florida A&M rallied in the final two sets to knock off Morgan State, 3-2, in the quarterfinals of the 2014 MEAC Volleyball Championship at the Physical Education Complex.
The Lady Rattlers dropped the opening set, 25-20, but bounced back with a 25-20, second-set win. Morgan State grabbed a 2-1 lead in the third set with a 25-22 win. FAMU won the match with a fourth-set 25-21 win and took the deciding set, 15-9.
Florida A&M (12-14) advances to meet Howard at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Yeshia Arcia led Florida A&M with 17 kills and nine digs, while Pamela Soriano registered 13 kills and 16 digs. Valeria Lopez added 19 assists. Defensively, Joanie Del Castillo finished with 28 digs and Jordyn Wright chipped in with 11.
Zuri Smith and Dinah Jones finished with 17 and 16 kills, respectively to pace the Lady Bears offense. Carmen Fernandez recorded 28 assists and 11 digs. On the defensive side, Arianna Hayden recorded 21 digs, while Evely Macedo finished with 16 digs. Morgan State concludes the season with a 13-13 overall record.
Match 4: No. 2 Howard 3, No. 3 North Carolina A&T 2
BALTIMORE, Md. – The Howard volleyball team outlasted North Carolina A&T, 3-2, in the quarterfinals of the 2014 MEAC Volleyball Championship at the Physical Education Complex.
Howard opened the match with a 25-17 victory, but North Carolina A&T rallied with 25-22 and 25-20 scores to grab a 2-1 advantage. The Lady Bison took the final two sets, winning the fourth, 25-17 and the deciding game, 15-5.
Howard (19-10) advances to the semifinals and will meet Florida A&M in the 3:30 p.m., match on Saturday.
The Lady Bison had four players reach double figures in kills. Assata Conway and Katherine Broussard each recorded 11 kills, while Whitney Fields and Khaila Donaldson added 10 apiece. Stephanie Shultis registered 20 assists and 20 digs for the double-double. Allyson Lods finished with a team-high 21 digs, while Broussard added 18.
Brooke Stamnes and Aleena McDaniel registered nine kills, while Aleena McDaniel chipped in with eight kills and 11 digs. Ashley Johnson led the way defensively with 19 digs. North Carolina A&T finishes the season with a 6-22 record.