BALTIMORE, Md. - Sophomore Jessica Croucher (Brisbane, Australia) and freshman Edarkis Branch (Los Angeles, Calif.) combined for 28 kills, but the Delaware State University volleyball team couldn't hold on to a 2-1 lead and fell, 3-2, at Coppin State University late Sunday afternoon.

The first set was head-to-head the entire time, but the Eagles closed out on a 7-2 run to win, 25-20.

The two teams kept things close again in the second set, but this time the Hornets were victorious at 25-22.  Senior Sonja Banicevic (Zagreb, Croatia) posted a match-high seven digs in the set.  CSU led, 14-13, but Del State broke away with a 5-0 run and never looked back in the set. 

The Hornets made a lot more noise in the third set as they held the Eagles to a -.125 attack percentage and posted their own attack of .421 (11-3-19).  DSU took kills from Banch and junior Laisha Davis (Riviera Beach, Fla.) and a service ace from Banicevic in addition to two Coppin errors to take a 9-4 lead.  Davis and Branch gave the Hornets two more kills at 23-12.  Two more CSU errors gave DSU the win at 25-14.

A kill from senior Jessica Barnes (Alpharetta, Ga.) put Del State up, 18-15, in the fourth set, but the Eagles responded with a 5-0 run and eventually won, 25-22, with a kill from Ariel Richard.

Coppin State controlled most of the fifth set, but received a scare from the Hornets with three consecutive kills, one from Croucher and two from Branch, to bring Del State within 11-12.  The Eagles responded with a kill of their own, from Christina Epps, and then took the final point at 15-12.

The win was the first for Coppin State in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play this season as they move to 4-16 overall and 1-4 in the MEAC.  The Hornets fall to 3-13 overall and 2-2 in the conference.

Del State next travels to the Hampton Roads area of Virginia to take on Norfolk State on Friday and Hampton next Sunday.

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