Box Score

PHILADELPHIA—The NJIT women's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision in the team's season opener against Coppin State Friday in the first round of the La Salle Invitational in Tom Gola Arena.

The Eagles won in straight sets Friday morning, 25-23, 25-20 and 25-19.

Coppin State (1-0) was paced by junior outside hitter Cindy Okpegbue, who recorded a match-high 20 kills.  A preseason all-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference honoree, Okpegbue finished the match with a .324 hitting percentage while contributing eight digs on defense.

Senior outside hitter Ariel Richard and junior middle Kandace Thomas each added nine kills in the victory.

Junior setter Chelsee Sauni combined for a match-high 38 assists and outside hitter Bailee Jackson notched a match-high 17 digs.  Libero Gabrielle Otero added 14 digs for the Eagles.

Senior outside hitter Fran Edmondson led NJIT with 7 kills, while three different Highlanders added 6 kills – senior Valerie Carroll and twin sisters Danica Vukotic and Nina Vukotic.

Freshman setter Alyssa Armada from Chicago made her collegiate debut against Coppin State, piling up 23 assists while senior libero Katie Goswick combined for 15 digs.  Edmondson and Nina Vukotic each added 7 digs for the Highlanders.

In the opening set, the Highlanders jumped out to an 8-6 lead after three consecutive kills from the trio of Edmondson, Armada and Danica Vukotic.  Coppin State went on a 7-2 spurt, pulling ahead of the Highlanders, 13-11.

The Eagles increased their lead to four, 17-13, on back-to-back kills by Ariel Richard, resulting in an NJIT timeout.  The Highlanders gradually rallied back into the set cutting the deficit to three, 23-20, on a Coppin State attacking error.  Coppin State's Richards answered, recording her fourth kill of the set to put the Eagles close to set-point, 24-20.  NJIT, down but not out, scored three straight points, pulling within one of the Eagles, 24-23, on a kill by Armada, but the Eagles scored the final point for a 25-23 victory.

Coppin State began the second set with a 9-5 advantage and pushed its lead to, 6, 18-12.  The Eagles held a 7-point advantage through the mid-teens and set up set-point after a kill by Richards for a 24-16 lead. The Highlanders scored four straight before the Eagles secured the 25-20 win.

In the final set, Coppin State hit an impressive .459 behind 9 kills from Okpegbue to Eagles close out the sweep with a 25-19 third-set win.

The two-day, four-match tournament in Philadelphia willnext  feature the Highlanders against host La Salle Friday at 7pm.