Box Score
PHILADELPHIA – After falling behind two-sets-to-none, the Manhattan College volleyball team (3-0) rallied to defeat Coppin State (2-2) 18-25, 13-25, 25-21, 25-22, 15-13 and win the La Salle Invitational at Tom Gola Arena on Saturday afternoon. Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii), who averaged 4.91 digs per set in the Jaspers' three matches was named tournament MVP, while Sydney Volovski (Oswego, Ill.) was also selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Manhattan built an early 7-3 advantage in the first set before Coppin State stormed back to go up 13-9. The Jaspers responded with five straight points to regain the lead, 14-13, but the Eagles countered with three consecutive points of their own to take a 16-14 edge. Coppin State extended the margin to seven points after back-to-back Gabrielle Otero service aces made it 24-17, and the Eagles held on to capture the opening set by a 25-18 margin.
Coppin State controlled the second set from the start, quickly going ahead 5-2. Leading 10-9, the Eagles scored 13 of the next 16 points to extend their advantage to 23-12. Coppin State hit a sensational .524 (13 kills, two errors, 21 attempts) in the second set, winning the set 25-13 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Facing a must-win situation in the third set, the Jaspers never trailed. Manhattan scored the first two points of the set and led 8-7 before going on a 4-0 run to extend its cushion to five points, 12-7. After Coppin State got back within two at 13-11, Manhattan scored 10 of the next 15 points to push its lead to seven, 23-18. The Jaspers reached set point on a kill by Anna Kitlar (Kiel, Germany), then finished off a 25-21 set win on a block by Kitlar and Volovski.
In the fourth set, Coppin State got four early aces to jump out to a 9-2 lead. With the Eagles leading 10-3, Marissa Behrens (Honolulu, Hawaii) pounded a kill to spark a 7-3 Manhattan run that brought the Jaspers within three at 13-10. The Eagles led 17-14 when Behrens slammed another kill to start an eight-point rally that turned a three-point deficit into a five-point lead, 22-17. Coppin State scored the next four points to get back within one, 22-21, but it was again Behrens that responded with a kill. Her fifth kill of the stanza came on set point, as Manhattan set up a decisive frame with a 25-22 win. The Jaspers hit .314 (16-5-35) as a team in the fourth set.
There were eight ties and three lead changes in the fifth set. The Jaspers went up 6-4 on back-to-back Behrens kills, but Coppin State scored the next two points to tie it at 6-6. The back-and-forth play continued, and it would be tied three more times before Manhattan broke a 12-12 deadlock on a Claire Van Dyk (New Richmond, Wis.) kill. Behrens and Volovski then teamed up for a block on the next point, bringing Manhattan to the brink of victory. On the Jaspers' second match point, Volovski slammed a kill to cap the comeback. Manhattan took the fifth set 15-13 to clinch a 3-2 match win.
With the victory, their first comeback from 0-2 down since Oct. 6, 2013 at Canisius, the Jaspers improved to 24-9 in five-set matches since 2010.
Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii) had a double-double for the Jaspers, finishing with 11 kills and 15 digs. Behrens, Volovski and Van Dyk added nine kills apiece, while Van Dyk also served five aces. Kitlar, meanwhile, recorded seven kills and seven digs. Jade Gray (Boise, Idaho) distributed 21 assists to go along with eight digs, and Teodora Peric (Chicago, Ill.) handed out 16 assists. Yamashiro collected 14 digs, as the Jaspers outdug the Eagles 70-67. As a team, Manhattan hit .163 (50-25-153) in the match.
Four different players had double-digit kills for Coppin State, led by 14 apiece for Cindy Okpegbue and Ariel Richard. Maya Horner finished with 12 kills and eight digs, while Kandace Thomas recorded 10 kills and four blocks. Chelsee Saunee dished out 45 assists for the Eagles. Bailee Jackson returned a match-high 22 digs, and Otero notched 18 digs to go along with four aces. Coppin State hit .190 (56-24-168) as a team.
The Jaspers are now 3-0 for the first time in program history. Up next, Manhattan opens its home schedule by welcoming Hartford (1-2) to Draddy Gymnasium at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.