Coppin State 3, McNeese State 0 | Auburn 3, Coppin State 1
AUBURN, Ala. -- Behind a double-double from TaKenya Stafford in her team debut, Coppin State swept McNeese 3-0 (28-26, 25-22, 27-25) in the season opener at Auburn's War Eagle Invitational on Friday afternoon at Neville Arena.
A sophomore from Los Angeles, Calif., Stafford led a well-balanced Eagles attack with a match-high 15 kills on .321 hitting, along with 14 digs an ace and a block.
Three other Eagles players finished with double-digit kills, as Geraldyn Palacios added 11 kills while hitting a team-high .360. Hope Casel and Ammaarah Williams added 10 each.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Recap
Delaware State 3, NJIT 0
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Delaware State opened its 2023 season with a 3-0 win over New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on Friday afternoon as part of the 2023 Hofstra Invitational hosted by Hofstra University.
The win was head coach David Brooks' first with the program
Offensively, the Hornets were led by the 2022 MEAC Tournament Outstanding Performer Alondra Maldonado, who landed a game-high 14 kills, and she was followed by Valeria Otero, who notched 10, including the final kill of the match to put the contest away.
Box Score | Recap
Maryland Eastern Shore 3, UNC Asheville 2
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Charlize Williams racked up 16 kills and hit .464 for the match as Maryland Eastern Shore opened the Vanessa Faircloth era on Friday with a 3-2 (25-23, 18-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-9) win over tournament host UNC Asheville.
Williams had just three errors in 28 swings, while also recording two solo and three assisted blocks.
Anjola Omolewa added eight kills and hit .538 for the Hawks.
Box Score | Recap
Georgetown 3, Howard 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Dami Awojobi racked up a match- and career-high 22 kills and 10 digs, and reigning MEAC Player of the Year Rya McKinnon added 14 kills, but Howard dropped its season opener on Friday evening, falling 3-1 to Georgetown in Burr Gymnasium.
The Hoyas won the match 25-22, 25-17, 25-27, 25-19.
Reigning MEAC Co-Setter of the Year Kayla Diaz had 48 of the Bison's 50 assists, while Claire Simpson had a team-high 17 digs.
Box Score | Recap
Virginia Tech 3, Morgan State 0 | Furman 3, Morgan State 0
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- The Morgan State volleyball team began the 2023 season on the road competing in the Hokie Invitational hosted by Virginia Tech. The Bears would drop their opener to the host Hokies on Friday, falling 3-0 (25-12, 25-19, 25-9) inside Cassell Coliseum.
Morgan State also fell 3-0 in the nightcap to Furman.
Jourdan Page and Ainara Fernandes each had five kills against the Hokies, while Makila Billingsley had a team-high six in the Furman match.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Recap
Alabama A&M 3, North Carolina Central 2
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- The sophomore duo of Kamren Harper and Emmie Modlin each tallied career-high kill totals to lead North Carolina Central in a narrow 3-2 loss to Alabama A&M on Friday afternoon in the Woof Woof Invitational hosted by UNC Asheville.
Harper led all players with 25 kills with a sizzling .327 hitting percentage. The MEAC All-Rookie Team honoree completed a double-double with 12 digs while adding four aces and one solo block for 30 points. Modlin netted 16 kills, two aces and six blocks (one solo) for 21.5 points.
Graduate student Jeslyn Spencer chipped in 12 kills, 10 digs and three aces for a double-double in her NCCU debut.
Box Score | Recap
Georgia State 3, South Carolina State 0 | Chattanooga 3, South Carolina State 0
ATLANTA, Ga. -- South Carolina State opened the 2023 season -- and the Melissa Paige era -- with a pair of straight-set losses to Georgia State and Chattanooga in the first day of the GSU Invitational on Friday.
Georgia State won the first match 25-23, 25-11, 25-17, before Chattanooga took the second 25-12, 25-12, 25-16.
Eleisha Thompson led the Bulldogs with seven kills in the first match of the day, and McKinley Roach added six to pace the S.C. State offense in the second match.
Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Recap