DOVER, Delaware – It was a heartbreaking end to the season for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball program, falling in five sets to top seeded Coppin State University by games of 28-26, 25-19, 11-25, 20-25 and 14-16 in the semifinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Volleyball Championships on Saturday evening at Delaware State University's Memorial Hall.
 
"We had matches like these semifinals that make our sport so beautiful and so painful at the same time – it's a heartbreaker," head coach Trevor Callarman said. "You hate to lose those but amazing fight, great match, and some of the best volleyball we played all year and we played (it) in the tournament."
 
It was a set of attrition for the Hawks to start out the match as Coppin stretched out to a four-point lead before Callarman called a timeout to start slowing the Eagle offense. While the Hawks battled back to lock it up at twelve apiece Coppin got its lead to five until a pair of University of Maryland Eastern Shore runs tied the game at 21.
 
The teams traded points until back-to-back attack errors by Coppin's Yaniris Miller-Green gave the Hawks the advantage, then Derionah Abner slammed home the 28^th and closing point of the first set. It was one of the most competitive sets of the season for the Hawks, with eleven ties and four lead changes.
 
There was a much stronger sense of urgency for the Hawks in the second set, running out to a 5-1 lead on the Eagles before Coppin called a timeout in an attempt to stop the momentum. It seemed to work, as Coppin got as close as a point at 11-10 until the Hawks started working to take control and cruise to victory in the second.
 
A huge difference in the second was the effort at the net on defense for the Hawks, with five total team blocks compared to zero by Coppin in the frame. Four different Hawks were in on an assisted block in the second, led by Charlize Williams' four.
 
"The first two sets they came out how we scouted and how we expected (them to), we just had their number," Callarman said. "We were reading it like a book almost, everything was going the way we wanted it to. We were serving the way we wanted to."
 
After such a solid second, the Hawks found themselves grounded in the third set as Coppin's offense was seemingly inspired by a yellow card from the bench. Tied at 1-1 before the card on head coach Tim Walsh, Coppin grabbed a quick kill and never relinquished the lead, as the Hawks would only get as close as five points for the rest of the set.
 
"The third set they switched some things up and we were just a little bit slow (to respond), that set kind of got away from us," Callarman said.
 
Looking to bounce back, the Hawks turned in a much better effort in the fourth set, keeping it close throughout and offering the crowd several exciting rallies.
 
Coppin took the first lead in the early points, doubling up on the Hawks at 8-4 before a Callarman timeout and a series of attack errors by the Eagles righted the ship for the Hawks at 11-11. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the lead didn't stay long as Coppin regained it and held on to even the match at 2-2 overall.
 
Pushed to the brink, the Hawks gave a tremendous effort in the fifth set that would fall just short of moving them to the final round. The set was all even at 9-9 until the Hawks ripped off three straight with Sophia Chacon at the service line and then Coppin returned the favor with a three-point run of their own.
 
At 14-14, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore looked to be the dark horse Callarman believed the team could be but found themselves just short with two quick Coppin points to send the Hawks home.
 
"In the fifth we hit .400, it just came down to a couple of things there at the end," Callarman said. "A few missed serves, a few good plays by them to tie it late. To lose by two points that's just a heartbreaker there but just a really good match."
 
Abner led the Hawks with 13 kills on the afternoon, Sydney Morris was behind with nine and Ranyla Griggs had seven. Chacon quarterbacked the Hawks to 21 assists and Romina Vacca chipped in 13 herself. The Hawks excelled on defense, as Isil Yilmaz had 24 digs and the team had a combined 10 total team blocks – including eight assisted blocks from Charlize Williams and five assisted each from Abner and Nkemjika Ikemefuna.
 
"She was just making a lot of plays," Callarman said of Abner. "She was taking the good sets and putting those away, then taking the sets that weren't perfect and then making something happen out of them."
 
For the weekend, Abner led the team with 23 kills at a .242 hitting percentage, followed by Morris' 16, with Ikemefuna and Griggs each having 15. Chacon finished with 32 assists and Vacca was close behind with 27. Defensively in the backcourt Yilmaz finished with 53 digs, good for 6.63 per set, and up-front Williams had 11 combined blocks.
 
"Isil was solid, that's the best way I've been able to describe it this year," Callarman said. "Really at the end of the season she looked comfy back there, she looked very slick, making lots of big plays and defending well against one of the best hitting teams in the conference."
 
The All-Tournament team will be named following the conclusion of the championship match on Sunday (November 20) evening.
 
The Hawks finish their season a 9-18 and 6-8 during regular season MEAC play, earning the first tournament win of the Callarman era. It was also the first time since 2019 that the Hawks had a member of the All-MEAC team in Williams' second team nod and the second year in a row a student-athlete made the All-Rookie team in Ikemefuna.
 
Saturday marked the final game in maroon and gray for Abner, Chacon, Alexis Lee and Morris – each leaving their mark on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball program.
 
"The reason why we're able to put this type of fight in and get close to shocking the one seed like we did was just the leadership that we had," Callarman said. "Sydney making big plays and doing things off the court to motivate – Lexi as well, in it from point one. Deri and Soph just making things happen out there. All those ladies were just a huge part of the program and obviously a huge part of the season, it wouldn't have been the same without them out there."

In fitting fashion, the last point of the Hawks season was a kill by Abner, her D1 career 380th, served up by Chacon - who concludes her four year career with an even 700 assists.
 
Follow the action on Twitter via @ESHawksVBall.