NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State volleyball team suffered its first loss of conference play on Friday afternoon, falling 3-0 at Coppin State.
The Eagles completed the home sweep by scores of 25-17, 25-22, 25-19.
Paola Matos led the Spartans with seven kills, while freshman setter
Sydney McCree notched 17 assists and
Carla Hernandez collected 10 digs.
Coppin State took control early, winning the first eight points of the match. The Eagles' first four points came on service aces, while the next four came by successful attack attempts.
Hernandez helped the Spartans find stability, ending the run with a kill before reeling off three more points on her serve. But the Spartans couldn't find a spark offensively, posting a -.13 hitting percentage in the opening game, allowing CSU to take a 1-0 lead in the match.
Two kills by Hernandez in the second game helped the Spartans earn an early 3-2 advantage, but CSU kept the Spartans from building separation. As the Eagles snuck ahead by three, NSU produced a 4-0 run behind
Paola Maradei's serve to go up 11-10.
A 5-1 spurt eventually gave CSU some breathing room, but Maradei and
Shonte Seale's powerful swings helped bring the Spartans back within one. The push wouldn't be enough though, with the Eagles edging out the second game by a three-point margin.
Adlene Jideofor got the Spartans rolling in the third with an immediate kill from a McCree pass, and Matos put away a pair of assists by the freshman shortly after. But CSU mounted a 7-1 stretch to regain control, staying ahead the rest of the way.
Norfolk State (2-11, 2-1 MEAC) still has another chance for a win in Baltimore this weekend, as the Spartans face Morgan State (2-16, 1-3) at the Hill Field House on Sunday at 1 p.m.