Jourdan Lemons recorded career-highs in assists (43) and kills (7) on Friday evening at Coppin State.
Morgan State 3, Coppin State 1
BALTIMORE, Md. (Oct. 15, 2010)-The Morgan State Lady Bears volleyball team defeated crosstown rival Coppin State, 3-1 (29-27, 25-18, 23-25, 25-16) on Friday evening in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) North Division match at the Eagles Nest inside the Physical Education Complex on the campus of Coppin State. It was the first meeting between the two teams in Coppin's new volleyball facility.
Morgan State (4-14, 2-1 MEAC) notched its first two-match winning streak of the season with the win and extended its consecutive winning streak to 45 matches over the Eagles, its longest winning streak over an opponent. The Lady Bears' victory also spoiled Coppin's conference home opener festivities, which was also their annual “Dig Pink” match to raise the awareness of breast cancer.
Erin Cox tied a match high with 16 kills and added 14 to digs to record her fourth double-double of the season for the Lady Bears, who are 2-1 in league play for the first time since the 2007 season. Dominique Bozier added 11 kills and tallied a match-high five blocks, while Shaundalyn Taylor also had a productive night, contributing a career-high eight kills. Jourdan Lemons set career highs in both assists (43) and kills (seven) and tied a career-high 12 digs, finishing with no errors and a hitting percentage of .700. Dina Beamon finished with a match-high 22 digs.
Despite having to bounce back from a six-point deficit (12-18) in the opening set, the Lady Bears played their best set of volleyball in years, recording 20 kills. Morgan State fought back and held a 24-23 lead after back-to-back kills from Lemons, but Coppin would not go away. The two teams traded points until Lemons finally ended the set with two straight kills to give the guests a 29-27 victory.
Coppin State (3-16, 0-3 MEAC) was led by Ashley Saunders, who totaled 16 kills and added 10 digs for the double-double. Vanity Massey tallied a team-high 13 digs and added eight kills, while Haley Beechler recorded 37 assists and had 12 digs.
The Lady Bears return to action this Sunday, Oct. 17, when they host Delaware State in a MEAC North Division match at 3 p.m. at Hill Field House. The match will be the Lady Bears' MEAC home opener and will also be their “Dig Pink” Match for the fight against breast cancer. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match.
