Box Score | Championship Central


WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 22, 2019—Miajavon Coleman led three Coppin State players in double figures with 15 kills as the Eagles defeated North Carolina Central 3-1 (25-17, 19-25, 25-21, 25-22) in the quarterfinal round of the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Championship in Burr Gymnasium.
 
Coppin State (13-17) advances to Saturday’s semifinal round, where it will face either Howard or South Carolina State.
 
Coleman, who was named First Team All-MEAC, hit .300 for the match and had seven digs. Paola Caten added 14 kills and eight digs. Salma Gonzalez had 10 kills and committed just two errors to hit .333.
 
Brianna Lang had 48 assists, nine digs and six service aces.
 
“I’m just proud of [the team] for their ability to come back,” Coppin State second-year head coach Timothy Walsh said. “During the season, we lost a tough one – 3-2 – to [N.C. Central] in the regular season, so to come back and be able to reset and getting back to playing the way they should, I’m proud of that.”
 
The match was tied 1-1 after North Carolina Central (8-24) rebounded to take the second set, closing the frame with a 6-2 run to clinch the set. But Coppin rebounded to take control in the third set, using a 6-1 run to take an 18-12 lead in the third set.
 
Coppin State, the No. 3 seed from the Northern Division, won that set 25-21.
 
That momentum carried into the fourth set, when Coppin State opened with a 5-1 run. Later in the set, the Southern Division No. 2-seeded Eagles rallied back, using a 6-1 run to cut the lead to 14-12 – but Coppin responded by scoring six of the next eight points to go up 20-14.
 
N.C. Central answered again, cutting the lead to 24-22 before Coppin clinched set point.
 
Coppin State held a slim edge in hitting, .286 to .229, and North Carolina Central had eight teams blocks to seven for Coppin. The service game provided some separation for Coppin, which had 10 aces to Central’s six.
 
Coppin State won a MEAC Championship match for the first time since 2014.
 
“Consistency in energy is key for this team,” Coleman said. “When we come in hard and strong, we finish hard and strong, and when we don’t, we don’t.”
 
Ammaarah Williams led North Carolina Central with 13 kills, while Jasmine Sanders added 12.