Morgan State University Athletics

BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 19, 2012)-The Morgan State volleyball team will return to Hill Field House this Sunday, Sept. 23 when it plays host to crosstown rival Coppin State. The match will be the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener for both teams and will get underway at 3 p.m.
 
Sunday's contest will mark the 62nd meeting between the two programs with Morgan State holding a commanding 55-6 advantage, including a two-match winning streak against the Eagles. Coppin State's last victory over the Lady Bears was a 3-1 win at Hill Field House on Oct. 31, 2010, thus ending 45 consecutive losses to Morgan State.
 
The MEAC opener against Coppin State will also mark the return of a familiar face to Hill Field House, as former Lady Bear and first-year Coppin State head coach Ashley Preston will guide her Eagle squad against Morgan State.
 
“Playing Morgan State is like playing family. I know it will be a fun match,” said Preston, who will square off against her alma mater for just the second time and the first as a head coach.
 
Preston was a four year starter at the libero position for the Lady Bears from 2004-07 and ranks as one of the top players in Morgan State history. She was a three-time first-team All-MEAC selection from 2004-06 and is the Lady Bears' all-time leader in digs with 2,066. Preston led the team in digs all four years and also owns the top three marks in Morgan State history for digs in a season, including a school record 640 digs during her sophomore campaign, breaking the previous record of 525 which she set as a freshman.
 
During her tenure she helped Morgan State to a total of 68 wins and was essential to the Lady Bears having one of their best seasons in five years as a junior. That year she helped the team to a 23-9 mark and a 10-0 record against MEAC North Division opponents, as Morgan State advanced to the MEAC Tournament championship match in 2006.
 
Off the court Preston was equally impressive. A native of Las Vegas, Nevada, Preston was a three-time recipient of the MEAC Commissioner's All-Academic Award and garnered Arthur Ashe Scholar's first team honors as a junior. Following her junior season Preston also earned the Elijah Rowe Award, which goes to the female athlete with the highest grade point average at Morgan State.
 
Preston, who graduated in May of 2008 with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications, spent two seasons (2008-09) as an assistant coach at Morgan State, before spending the 2010 season as an assistant at Loyola-Maryland. Last season, in her lone year as head coach at Spelman College, Preston led the Jaguars to a 9-16 record, which established a school record for wins in a season, while also serving as the school's sports information director.
 
Morgan State head coach Ramona Riley-Bozier is in the midst of her 25^th season at the helm of the Lady Bears' volleyball program and is 17 wins shy of career victory 400. The Lady Bears, who have not played since last Saturday in the Seton Hall Invitational, enter the Coppin State match in search of their first win of the year.
 
The Lady Bears (0-11) are coming off a tough 3-0 loss to host Seton Hall in the finale of the Seton Hall Invitational. Morgan State has been led by freshman Arianna Hayden, who has a team-high 86 kills. Ngebui (Natalie) Chafeh has 196 assists for the Lady Bears, while Tamara Leslie leads the team with 93 digs. Janelle Wilson and Zuri Smith have paced Morgan State with 28 and 23 blocks, respectively.
 
Coppin State enters the contest with a 4-7 mark, following a 3-0 loss at American on Sept. 19^th. The Eagles have been paced by Ariel Richard, who leads Coppin State with 136 kills and ranks second in digs with 69. Chelsee Sauni has a team-leading 323 assists, while Denali Sturgeon has a team-high 16 service aces. Gabrielle Otero leads Coppin State with 179 digs and is second on the team in aces with 13, while Kandace Thomas leads the Eagles with 24 blocks.