BALTIMORE, Md. — Howard volleyball (11–8, 5–3 MEAC) dropped a five-set battle to Coppin State on Thursday evening at the Physical Education Complex, 3–2 (25–22, 25–22, 16–25, 19–25, 10–15). With the loss, the Bison fall to 11–8 overall and 5–3 in MEAC play, while the undefeated Eagles move to 15–9 (8–0 MEAC).
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Howard came out strong in the opening set, jumping out to a 5–2 lead behind standout rookie Alexys James (Houston). Coppin closed the gap to 9–7 before back-to-back kills brought them within one at 13–12. An uninterrupted five-point run gave the Eagles an 18–16 lead. The teams traded points through the middle of the frame before Howard used a 5–1 stretch capped by a Rya McKinnon (Hoover, Ala.) kill to go up 22–20. Coppin closed within two, but a final McKinnon kill sealed the 25–22 win for the Bison.

The second set mirrored the first as Howard once again took early control, opening with consecutive kills from Kristen Dear (Carson, Calif.) and McKinnon 2-0. After multiple lead changes, Howard broke a 19–19 tie behind a 4–0 spurt that featured two Dear kills and a block assist from Kaitlynn Robinson (Oklahoma City, Okla.) to take a 24–20 advantage. Coppin rallied for two points, but an Alexys James kill clinched another 25–22 decision and a 2–0 match lead.

Coppin State flipped the momentum in the third, jumping out to a 5–1 start and surging throughout the set. The Eagles' offense caught fire, hitting .483. Despite late kills from Aziah Buckner (Memphis, Tenn.) and McKinnon, the Bison dropped the frame 25–16.

The fourth set saw Howard open with a 4–0 burst, including an ace and kill from Buckner, but Coppin answered with a 5–0 run behind strong serving from libero Coco Figueroa to take the lead 8–5. The Eagles continued to pull away 13–8, but the Bison worked their way within 18–17 on kills from Dear and McKinnon before the Eagles closed on a 7–2 run to take the set 25–19 and force a decisive fifth.

In the tiebreaker, the teams went point-for-point early before Coppin used a 5–1 surge to turn an 8–8 tie into a 13–9 lead. Despite late kills from McKinnon and James, the Eagles sealed the comeback with a 15–10 win to remain unbeaten in conference play.

McKinnon paced the Bison attack with 18 kills and 14 digs for her eighth double-double of the season. Dear and James followed with 11 kills apiece, while Dear added a match-high seven blocks. Setter Leah Reeves (Allen, Texas) recorded her eighth 40+ assist game with 46 assists along with 15 digs, marking her eighth double-double of the year.

The Bison return to action on Sunday, October 26 at 1 p.m., when they face Morgan State in Baltimore.

For more information on Howard University Athletics, visit the official Howard Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.