BALTIMORE — Coppin State welcomed Howard to the Physical Education Complex Arena on Friday evening with first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference at stake and two of the league’s leading teams looking to strengthen their position entering the final stretch of the regular season.

The Eagles entered at 16–7 overall and 7–1 in conference play, narrowly ahead of a Howard team carrying a 7–12 overall record and a 6–1 conference mark. The Bison had won six consecutive MEAC matches since losing to Coppin earlier in the season, setting up an opportunity to turn the standings in their favor.

For Coppin, the meeting offered another test after Morgan State ended its unbeaten conference start in a five-set rivalry match the previous Friday. The Eagles had responded by defeating Norfolk State, while Howard also arrived following a victory over the Spartans. Both teams had been projected to finish among the conference’s top two before the season, and Friday’s matchup brought those expectations into direct competition.

Coppin emerged with a straight-set victory, taking the match 25–23, 25–19, 25–20 behind an efficient attacking performance from Rori Gray and a strong presence at the net.

The opening set provided the closest finish of the evening. Coppin produced 16 kills but also committed 12 attacking errors, allowing Howard to remain within reach. The Eagles secured the set by two points, gaining the early advantage despite an uneven offensive start.

In the second, Coppin reduced its attacking errors to five while Howard committed 10. The Eagles took the set 25–19, putting the Bison under pressure to win the third to extend the match.

Coppin then delivered its strongest attacking set of the night. The Eagles registered 17 kills against just three errors, hitting .368 as they closed out the match 25–20. Howard also improved offensively, producing 13 kills in the third, but could not prevent the sweep.

Gray matched her career high with 11 kills, finishing without an attacking error across 19 attempts for a .579 hitting percentage. She also recorded a season-high seven blocks, contributing on both sides of the net.

Eva Rovello supplied 31 assists and matched Gray with seven blocks. Kendall Minta, Deviana Walker and Pamela De Jesus Tejedor added seven kills apiece, giving Coppin support across its attack. Coco Figueroa and Cherisse Atilano each recorded nine digs, while Figueroa contributed two service aces.

Alexys James led Howard with 10 kills and added 13 assists. Sydnei Jones finished with 14 assists and 11 digs, while Zenai Jethroe recorded five blocks.

The victory moved Coppin to 17–7 overall and 8–1 in the MEAC. Howard fell to 7–13 and 6–2 as its six-match conference winning streak ended. For the Eagles, the result strengthened their position at the top of the standings ahead of Wednesday’s nonconference visit to UMBC.

Final Score: Coppin State 3 – Howard University 0

Set Scores — Coppin State listed first:

• Set 1: 25–23
• Set 2: 25–19
• Set 3: 25–20