PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Bethune-Cookman volleyball broke its Coppin State first-round curse after a convincing first-round 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-16) victory over the Eagles to open the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship, Friday (Nov. 20), in Princess Anne, Maryland.
The No. 1 Wildcats (14-15, 10-0 MEAC) finished the match nearly flawless on the offensive end, as B-CU recorded its highest hitting percentage as a team, .451 (44-3-91), since posting a .429 against Winston-Salem State, Sept. 28, 2007.
A Phylecia Armstrong kill started the match for B-CU, while the opening points went back-and-forth with a tied score at five.
Jill Arlaud broke the tie as the Wildcats went on a 7-1, forcing a Coppin State timeout, up 11-6.
Another 4-0 run pushed the Eagles to use their final timeout of the first, with B-CU up 22-15, before the Wildcats closed the set, 25-17, on a Delicia Pierre kill.
After the first, B-CU hit an impressive .571 as a team, only committing one hitting error, compared to the Eagles .219. The Wildcats also out blocked CSU in the first set, 4.0 to zero.
B-CU opened the second 4-1, and continued to dominate the set, leading 13-8 before the Eagles called their first timeout of the set.
The Eagles battled back cutting the Wildcat lead to two at 18-16 forcing coach Williams to call a timeout.
B-CU used a 7-3 surge to finish the second, as a Rakaya Neely kill closed the set at 25-19.
Pierre added seven kills in the second set on her eight attempts, while the Wildcats mirrored the first by only committing a single error.
It was all B-CU again in the third as the Wildcats kept momentum in their favor following the intermission and used a Destiny Hudson kill to put the lid on the third and final set, 25-16.
Pierre led B-CU offensively with 12 kills on 16 attempts (12-0-16), breaking the B-CU single-match hitting percentage record finishing with a remarkable .750.
Trailing Pierre, Rhea Simon finished with nine kills while Armstrong and Arlaud followed with seven each.
Running the offense for the 'Cats, Hazel Ortiz Rosado finishing with a match-best 35 assists while adding seven digs and three blocks.
Defensively, Alexas Thomas picked up eight digs while Pierre finished with six blocks as B-CU out blocked the Eagles 9.0 to 1.0.
B-CU returns to action Saturday, Nov. 21 during semifinal action as the Wildcats take on the No. 2 seed from the north, Morgan State, at 3:30 p.m.
