PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland – The regular season is coming near a close for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore volleyball program, with just three games left until the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament. It will be a true test of might on Friday November 4, with the Hawks (7-15, 5-6 MEAC) heading to Baltimore to take on the conference's top ranked team, Coppin State University, at 7:00 pm at the Physical Education Complex Arena.
 
Last time out the Eagles took a 3-1 win over the Hawks, taking sets 25-23, 25-13, 22-25 and 25-20.
 
Checking In on the Hawks
 
The Hawks sit at fifth in the conference, sitting just one game behind Norfolk State and one game ahead of North Carolina Central. Norfolk gets a weekend against South Carolina State and North Carolina Central, but still will need to face Howard University twice in three days at the end of the regular season. UMES took both regular season meetings with the Eagles.
 
Currently the University of Maryland Eastern Shore is coming off a two-game sweep weekend at home against South Carolina State and North Carolina Central. Derionah Abner was clutch all weekend, grabbing 20 kills at a .528 rate while committing just one error in all six sets, earning MEAC Player of the Week honors – the first for a Hawk since 2019.
 
Abner slid back into topping the Hawks in kills with 163, just ahead of Nkemjika Ikemefuna's 162. Ranyla Griggs, Charlize Williams, and Sydney Morris all have attributed heavily on offense, each having at least 100 kills.
 
Williams has been exceptional in her sophomore campaign, sitting at seventh in the conference in hitting percentage at .297 and second in average blocks per set with .89 over 76 sets played.
 
In the backcourt, Valeria Matias and Isil Yilmaz have provided great defense from the libero and defensive specialist roles, sitting at sixth and seventh in digs per set, respectively, in the conference.
 
Calculating Coppin
 
Heading into the weekend, the Eagles (19-8, 10-1 MEAC) may be the hottest team in the conference, holding a six-game winning streak and getting a huge 3-0 win at home against Howard this past Sunday, October 9.
 
It's a top-heavy squad for the Eagles, with three players – Miajavon Coleman, Andrea Tsevetnova and Ashley Roman – not missing a single set, and Ammarrah William missing just one as well.
 
On offense the Eagles thrive off the serve, as Tsevetnova leads the nation in both aces (81) and aces per set (.78), notching five against the Hawks earlier this season. She is also the squad's top setter, putting up 945 of the Eagles 1116 attempts, earning her second in the conference in assists per set.
 
Tsevetnova will look to pass to Coleman and Williams who sit at the top of the MEAC points board, Coleman in second with 324.5 and Williams at 331. Coleman is the reigning MEAC Player of the Year.
 
Two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year Ashley Roman has continued her stellar career as a senior, leading the conference with 4.78 digs per set that is also good for 35^th in the nation. Yaniris Miller-Green and Geraldyn Palacios run the front court for the Eagles, with an identical 87 sets, four solo blocks and 71 assisted block stat line, that tie them at third in the MEAC.
 
How to Follow
 
The game will be aired live with a Live Stream provided by Coppin State University, a link is available on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore website. Live Stats will also be accessible.
 
Follow along on Twitter via @ESHawksVBall.