NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR EAGLES

The College of St. Elizabeth Screaming Eagles ended the 2011 season ranked 13th nationally in Division 3 for Aces per Set at 3.0/Set.  CSE had the 2nd best mark of all D3 schools in NJ.

Individually,  CSE was led by freshman Katie Cooper (33rd Nationally at .69 Aces/Set) and sophomore Amy Cooper (50th Nationally at .64 Aces/Set)

Congrats to the team and to the Cooper sisters for an outstanding accomplishment.

 

RECORD BOOK REWRITTEN BY 2011 EAGLES

Here is a top 3 look at the records broken and now held by the 2011 Eagles. 

(Official records on CSE Website list top 10)

HISTORICAL RECORD

#1 OVERALL RECORD - 16W-16L

#1 OVERALL WINNING % - .500

PER MATCH STATS

Total Aces

Assistant Coach Brittney Newberry holds the #1 spot with 10

Kareemah Muhammad tied for 2nd all-time with 9

Rachel Hausler tied for 3rd with 8

Total Digs in 3 Set Match

Rachel Hausler holds the top 2 dig slots with 23

Katie Cooper is tied for 3rd with 21

Total Assists in a Match

Amy Cooper holds the 2nd and 3rd best slot all-time with 36 and 35 digs

Total Assists in a 3 Set Match

Amy Cooper is the all-time leader with 35 digs

(Amy also holds 9 of the top 10 slots overall)

Total Assists in a 4 Set Match

Amy Cooper holds the 2nd and 3rd best mark all-time with 36 and 33 digs respectively

Total Assists in a 5 Set Match

Amy Cooper holds the #1 slot all-time with 35 assists

(Amy also holds the 3rd best mark with 33)

Total Kills in a Match

Katie Cooper is tied for 1st place all-time with 19 kills

(Katie Also holds the #2 and #3 slots with 18 and 17 kills respectively)

Total Kills in a 3 Set Match

Katie Cooper holds the #1 slot all-time with 18 kills

(Katie is tied for 2nd with 15 kills and has the 3rd best tally all-time with 14 kills)

Kareemah Muhammad is tied for 2nd all-time with 15 kills.

Subhana Wrights is tied for 2nd all-time with 15 kills.

Total Kills in a 4 Set Match

Katie Cooper holds the #1 all-time record with 19 kills.

Kareemah Muhammad is tied for 2nd all-time with 15 kills.

(Kareemah also holds the 3rd slot with 14 kills) 

Total Kills in a 5 Set Match

Katie Cooper holds the 2nd slot with 17 kills.

Subhana Wrights holds the 3rd slot with 14 kills.

Hitting Percentage (min. 12k)

Kareemah Muhammad holds the #1 spot all-time with a 13K, 0.522 performance.

(Kareemah also holds the 2nd and 3rd slots with 15K - 0.481 and a 12K - 0.429)

EAGLES COMPLETE WEEKEND SWEEP WITH WIN OVER MEDGAR EVERS

The Eagles entered the match versus the Cougars of Medgar Evers looking for their record setting 16th win and a .500 record for the season.  CSE looked poised to win this historic match as they took control of the match early and kept the Cougars at bay.

The Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead but the Cougars stayed with the Eagles, tying them a few times early in the set but not able to leapfrog CSE.  The Cougars trailed only by 1 numerous time but late in the match, with CSE leading 18-17, Medgar Evers couldn't connect on a backrow attack attempt and that mistake started a 7-0 run by the Eagles that saw the Eagles hit for 3 kills by Kareemah Muhammad and 2 aces by Rachel Hausler to seal set 1.

In set 2, the Cougars could not get on track from the outset.  Amy Cooper and Chanice Sears served 9 service points and put Medgar Evers in a 10-2 deficit.  As the lead ballooned to 15-5,  Rachel Hausler came up to serve after a Kareemah Muhammad kill and proceeded to run off 9 straight service points, including 3 aces, to bring the Eagles to the brink of a set win which came after a Cougar service error.

The final set began where the Eagles left off in set 2.  After an initial flurry which saw the teams trade the first few points (2-1 CSE),  Chanice Sears stepped up and ran off 4 straight service points thanks to the presence of Subhana Wrights who forced the Cougars into 3 unforced errors and earned a kill herself.  The resulting 6-2 lead was all the Eagles needed to pressure a fragile Cougar squad.  Katie Cooper went up to serve after another Cougar miscue (7-2 CSE) and ran off 7 straight points, including 4 aces in a row, to put the set and match out of reach at 14-2.  With the score 16-6, Rachel Hausler once again stepped up and delivered a knockout punch with 6 straight service points (2 aces) before Coach Martins subbed her out.  The Eagles closed out the set and match 25-8 as Luisa Solano served out the last point of the set and forced a bad pass by the Cougars which led to the final hitting error of the match.

The Eagles end the regular season 16W-16L after running off 3 straight wins to close out the season.  The Eagles earned an 8W-4L record at home, a 6W-4L record away and a 2W-8L record at neutral sites.  The 2011 Screaming Eagles hold the best record of the program, the most wins and the highest winning percentage.

EAGLES GET WIN #15

The CSE Screaming Eagles Volleyball Team earned a 3-0 victory versus the King's College Lions earlier today at home to get them to within 1 win of .500 at 15W-16L.

CSE relied on the serving of Chanice Sears, who led the team with 4 aces, and Katie Cooper who had 3 aces to pace a 10 ace attack that took the Lions out of the game at key points in the game.  Katie Cooper and Kareemah Muhammad paced the offense with key kills at various points in the match and tallied 27 kills to only 13 errors for the match.  Rachel Hausler led the defensive charge with a perfect 30/30 on serve receive, 19 digs and an amazing 2.6 pass rating. The Eagle offense was also solid out of the middle with Subhana Wrights and Chanice Sears hitting for 13 kills and only 3 errors and added 3 blocks.  Misato Oya was outstanding from the service line, going 8/8 and adding 6 digs to the Eagle effort.

The Eagles took a 20-20 score in set 1 and went on dominant 5-1 run that featured 3 kills and 1 ace to close out the set.  In set 2, the Eagles jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back as CSE extended the lead to 20-10 and closed the set on 5-3 run.  The third set was a close set throughout with numerous ties between the two teams.  With the score tied at 19,  the Eagles went on a 4-0 run in large part due to the efforts of Subhana Wrights and Kareemah Muhammad in the front row that gave CSE a 23-19 lead they would not relinquish.

CSE goes for a school record setting 16th win and .500 record against Medgar Evers later on this snowy afternoon.

EAGLES ESCAPE THE FEISTY CARDINALS

The Eagles went into NY fully confident that they could overcome the Cardinals of York College.  The match could not have gone more differently than expected.  The Cardinals proved to be a tough opponent thanks to their opportune hitting and amazing blocking performance.

The Eagles started off slowly,  falling behind 3-0 thanks to 3 consecutive hitting errors.  Although the team finally got on track, the Cardinals maintained their 3 point lead nearing the midway point of the match (10-7).  The Eagles responded with a 3-0 run due mainly to Cardinal errors but the team seemed to be struggling to find any rhythm offensively.

The set became a back and forth affair at this point with both teams unable to pull away (19-19).  The Cardinals seemed to have found their rhythm late and took a 21-19 lead thanks to some good offensive pressure.  Typical of the Eagles though, they did not give up and somehow found themselves tied at 23.  York responded with a kill to take a 24-23 lead.  However, the Cardinals missed the next serve and gave the Eagles a second life.  The Eagles forced an attack error to take the lead 25-24 but a kill by the Cardinals evened the score at 25.  The Eagles broke serve on the next reception with a kill and finished it off with an ace by Libero Rachel Hausler to take the first set 27-25.

The second set did not feature a different CSE squad.  The Eagles looked even more complacent after winning the first set and fell behind quickly 5-0.  The Cardinals maintained that lead and actually expanded it to 21-11, looking like a team that was poised to overrun the Eagles.  The Eagles, however, woke up from their malaise and proceeded to go on 7-0 run behind the serving of Katie Cooper (5 aces in the run) that brought the Eagles to within 3 at 21-18.  The Cardinals extended their lead yet again to 23-19
but the Eagles went on another run (3-0) that pulled the team to within 1 at 23-22 but a key service error and an attack error by the Eagles helped the Cardinals close out the set 25-22.

The Eagles took the momentum they gained in the second set (11-4 run) and kept it going in the third.  CSE held a 13-8 lead about halfway through the set and never looked back.  The Cardinals came as close as 13-17 but the Eagles closed out the set on an 8-0 run behind the serving of Luisa Solano who finished the Cardinals off with 3 service aces in a row (25-13).

The final set was a close contest with the Cardinals getting an early lead and holding it for the majority of the set (6-3, 9-6, 12-9, 15-10, 19-15).  The Eagles were thwarted time after time by the Cardinal block and seemed to be out of rhythm offensively yet again but then Kareemah Muhammad rotated to the front row and the Eagles took over.  CSE went on a 7-0 run that gave the team the lead and control of the set at 22-19 thanks to numerous attacking errors by the Cardinals which were caused by the serving of Chanice Sears and the blocking of Subhana Wrights. The Cardinals fought back to within1 at 21-22 but another key service error gave the Eagles the breathing room they needed and Kareemah Muhammad finished off the match with a kill off the ever present block  (25-22).

Katie Cooper had 7 kills while outside hitter Kareemah Muhammad tallied 15 kills to anchor the Eagle offense.  Subhana Wrights and Chanice Sears were pivotal out of the middle,  hitting for 16 kills combined (11 and 5 respectively).

K. Cooper,  Jenae Goodson and Luisa Solano combined for 16 of the team's aces with Cooper hitting for 6 and Jenae for 5.

The Eagles improve to 14W-16L and have two matches this Saturday that CSE must win to have the minimum qualification for the ECAC Tournament and to finish the regular season at .500 for the first time in school history.

CSE LOSES HEARTBREAKER AT HOME

The CSE Eagles took on the Gothic Knights of New Jersey City University on a night that the team celebrated Captain Chanice Sears' contributions to the program over her 4 year career.


In the first set, each team had 12 kills but CSE hit .220 with just three errors and in a period with eight ties, the Eagles were more accurate late. Tied at 20-20, the Eagles scored the final five points, including three consecutive aces by Rachel Hausler to claim the set. 
 
NJCU had 11 kills in the second set and CSE was held to negative attack accuracy (-.025). While there were seven ties, all were early in the period. With CSE leading 10-9, the Knights uncorked a 12-2 run to gain a 21-12 lead and won the game by eight, 25-17.
 
The important third set saw nine ties and four lead changes with St. Elizabeth landing 15 kills. NJCU floored 13 kills. Tied at 21, NJCU scored the next three points and held set point, ahead 24-21. CSE rallied to tie it at 24-24 before giving it right back with a service error and missed attack as the Knights took the set, 26-24.
 
The fourth set was again a back-and-forth affair, with nine ties and six lead changes. NJCU held a 10-7 lead before CSE scored 11 of the next 13 points to claim an 18-12 lead. Sophomore middle blocker Subhana Wrights, who had three solo blocks in the match, tallied two key stuffs in the period. NJCU was able to whittle the lead to 20-18 before the Eagles scored five of the final six points, and forced a decisive fifth set with a kill by Kareemah Muhammad. NJCU hit -.054 in the period.
 
In the final period, NJCU jumped out to an 8-4 lead before St. Elizabeth rallied to tie it at 9-9. But the Eagles committed a pair of errors and NJCU slammed a kill for a 12-9 lead. The cushion expanded to 14-10 after a CSE service error and a kill by NJCU.  The Knights claimed the match on the 22^nd service error of the contest by the Eagles.


The Eagles beat the Knights in kills (48-47), kill % (.118-.105), aces (10-3), blocks (4-3) and total points scored in the match (63-54) but the team's 22 service errors were the difference in the match.  While the Knights only had 3 aces, they also committed only 9 serving errors.  The Eagles hit for 10 aces but had 22 serving errors.  


The Eagles take on York College at 5:30pm on Thursday away as the team tries to get their record 1 game closer to .500.  CSE is now 13W-16L. 

ST. ELIZABETH FALLS TO HUNTER COLLEGE

St. Elizabeth took on an experienced Hunter College in their last match of the day on Saturday at Montclair State U. looking for the win that would bring them back to .500.

The Eagles started out as a team confident that they could play with the experienced Hawks team as they took an early 4-1 lead.  The Hawks size and speed began to take a toll on the Eagles' offense and soon the scored as knotted up at 5 and a bit later Hunter had opened a 10-7 lead.

But the Eagles relied yet again on their serving game and their blocking presence to force the Hawks into some uncommon mistakes that fueled a 5-0 run by the Eagles that had the score tied 13.  Hunter took a timeout and it seemed to settle the team as the Hawks proceeded to go on a 12-2 run to close out the set.  The usually reliable and accurate passing game deserted the Eagles and the Hunter attack did the rest in a 25-15 set 1 win.

The second set saw a much more lethal Hunter team take the court as they pressured the Eagles early with their serving game and were simply brutally efficient in offense in opening a 10-4 lead. The Eagles tried to respond but could not break the stranglehold the Hawks had in the set as Hunter would not concede any more than two points in a row to CSE.  The Eagles were down 20-11 before Subhana Wrights got into the scoresheet for a team leading fourth time in the set with a timely kill, the best offensive Eagle by far of the set.  Hunter closed the set on a 5-3 run to take it 25-14.

The Eagles took some solace in the success of Subhana Wrights in the second set and started the third set taking risks on their serve.  The gamble paid off early and the Eagles jumped out to a 5-0 lead (2 aces).  The Eagles were able to fend off multiple attacks by the Hawks as they saw themselves still up by 5 at the midway point of the match (12-7).  But then the errors started creeping into CSE's game and the Hawks went on a 6-3 run that cut the lead down to 2 at 15-13.

That run sparked the Hawks to life and the Hunter block began to deflect the Eagle attacks at every turn and, more importantly, the Hawks began to convert on their offensive chances.  The Eagles saw the Hawks jump ahead 18-17 but, typical of the team all year, the Eagles did not fold and tied it back up at 18 and then again 20.  The difference in the closing of this set was the offensive prowess of the Hawks.   Hunter College hit for 4 kills and no errors while the Eagles got an overpass kill as their only offensive output.  The Hawks closed out the set on a 5-3 run to seal the set and match 25-23.

The Eagles' record now stands at 13W-15L.  The Eagles next take on NJCU at home on Tuesday at 7pm in a match that will also feature the celebration and recognition of Chanice Sears for her services to the CSE Volleyball program.

The Eagles will need 3 wins from the last 4 matches to have the minimum qualifying standard for postseason play (ECAC Tournament - Metro Region).

HAWKS SLIP BY THE EAGLES

In a tightly contested match this past Saturday, the Eagles of CSE fell to the Red Hawks of Montclair State 3-1 (15-25, 25-21, 21-25 and 17-25).

The Eagles had an 9-6 lead early on and the team serve receive and transition offense seemed to be quite productive.  The only negative was the serving game that had yielded 2 errors. But just as the Eagles seemingly had control of the set,  the Hawks went on a 5-0 run that saw CSE give up 3 straight aces.  Although the team settled down and stayed within striking distance at 11-13,  the Eagles continued to sputter and after a blocking error and a couple of more service errors, CSE found themselves in a 22-15 hole.  The team could not find their game again and ended the set giving up 2 more aces and adding yet another attacking error.

The Eagles regrouped for set 2 as both teams traded points not being able to string anything together. The Eagles however were not committing any of the passing and serving errors as in set 1 which led them to a 12-12 score midway through the match.  CSE then went on a 5-0 run thanks to serving of Jenae Goodson (2 Aces) that kept the Hawks out of system and incapable of getting any good attacks.  The Eagles kept the pressure on for the rest of the set,  holding on to their 4-5 point lead.  The Eagle offense was outstanding down the stretch hitting for 4 kills in crucial points to take the set 25-21.

The third set saw the Hawks holding a slight lead early on (8-6) that the Eagles could not seem to break through well into the middle part of the match (14-12).  At 15-13, some well intentioned and good strategic attacks did not yield the result CSE wanted and MSU scored 3 more times to extend their lead to 19-14 before it was over.  With their backs against the wall,  the Eagles kept trying to fight back and but key attack errors all but sealed their fate in the set as they trailed the Hawks 23-18 late in the set.  The Eagles went on a 3-1 run that saw CSE get to within 3 at 24-21 and, with the ball in their hands,  the Eagles just could not regain momentum and fell 25-21 to the Red Hawks.

The Eagles could not recover emotionally from the 3rd set loss and were too over-agressive early on which led to a quick, early lead for the Hawks at 4-1.  The Eagles settled down but were unable to cut the deficit and actually saw the Hawks extend the lead to 11-4 thanks to 4 more unforced errors by the Eagles.  CSE cleaned up their act in the middle stages of the match and went on a 6-4 run that had them within 4 at 14-10 but a few points later, 3 consecutive hitting errors pushed the lead up to 8 at 19-11 and the writing was on the wall.  CSE, to its credit, refused to give up and went on 6-2 run that saw the Eagles get within 4 at 21-17 but another service error broke the momentum and led to a 4-0 run by the Hawks that featured another 2 hitting errors by the Eagles.

Although the Eagles hit for 10 kills in the set,  they also had a match high 8 errors which made it the least efficient set of the match for the team.  In contrast, the Hawks had only 8 kills but gave up only 4 errors.

The Eagles record now stands at 13W - 14L.

EAGLES DOMINATE COUGARS TO EARN 13th VICTORY

The CSE Screaming Eagles traveled to Brooklyn to take on the Medgar Evers Cougars and came away with a dominant win over their cross-river rivals.

The Eagles cruised to a 25-13, 25-10, 25-17 win behind a 15 ace effort by the team led by Jenae Goodson and Amy Cooper's combined 8 aces and also by the perfect passing of the back row trio of Rachel Hausler,  Misato Oya and Katie Cooper.  The three primary passers went a perfect 27/27 in serve receive and stymied any momentum the Cougars ever had in this match.  Katie Cooper, Kareemah Muhammad and Subhana Wrights paced the offense with a combined 18 kills and helped seal the fate of the Cougars.

With the win,  CSE jumps back to .500 and is looking to stay at that level or better this weekend as they take on Montclair State (11 am) and King's College (1pm)  this upcoming Saturday.

EAGLES FALL SHORT VERSUS THE WILDCATS

The Screaming Eagles of CSE took on the Wildcats of SUNY IT on Sunday looking for their 13th win of the season and their 5th at the NEAC.  The Wildcats, however, took control of each set early and managed to outlast the Eagles despite surges by CSE that kept the game close.


In set 1 the Eagles trailed 7-3 early but managed to get on a 6-2 run to tie the set at 9 behind the serving of Rachel Hausler.  The Wildcats broke serve and then went on a run of their own, jumping out to a 14-10 lead before it was over.  CSE fought back yet again and closed to within 1 late in the set at 19-18 but a serving error cost the Eagles momentum and the Wildcats were able to go on a 5-2 run to close it out 25-20. The Eagles had 8 hitting errors in the set to only 6 kills (4 by Katie Cooper) which was a major contributing factor in the loss.

The second set began very much like the first with SUNY IT jumping out to an early lead ( 7-3) and the Eagles fighting back yet again throughout the set.  The difference, however, was that the Wildcats kept the Eagles at bay for most of the set with key kills of their own.  SUNY IT had leads of 11-6 and 18-11 and looked to be in total control of the set.  At this point Katie Cooper went up to serve and between her service game and the offense of Kareemah Muhammad and Subhana Wrights, the Eagles started to roll.  The Eagles went on a 12-4 run that put CSE ahead, 23-22.  The Wildcats fought back and took a 24-23 lead but committed a service error to give CSE life at 24-24.  Unfortunately, the Wildcats did not commit any other errors and were solid in offense the last 2 points to score a set victory at 26-24.  Katie Cooper led all hitters with 7 kills of the team's 12.  The team committed only 3 hitting errors in the set which allowed them to be in it at the end.

The third set was another carbon copy of the first 2, SUNY IT over CSE early (7-4) but this time CSE just did not have an offensive answer for SUNY IT and could not generate another comeback.  The Wildcats pressed for the victory and took it easily 25-15.  Although the Eagles had 9 kills to only 1 error, it was the passing that let the team down as the Eagles could only find Katie Cooper for 5 attack attempts in the set (3 kills - 0 errors) and Kareemah Muhammad was stymied for only 3 kills out of 11 attempts.

The Eagles fall to 12W - 13L and take on rival Medgar Evers away on Thursday as they look to get back to .500.

EAGLES ARE DOMINANT IN RECORD BREAKING WIN

The Eagles not only won their 4th match in conference but also got themselves to .500 with a dominant win over SUNY Morrisville.  Most importantly though, the Eagles set a new St. Elizabeth record for wins in a season (12) with the 25-13, 25-19, 25-13 victory over the Mustangs.

CSE was locked in a tight duel early in set one (12-10) until Katie Cooper rotated to serve and proceeded to rattle off 4 service points -including an ace- which gave the Eagles an insurmountable 16-10 lead.  The Mustangs got one back but the Eagles countered with another devastating 4 point run to push the lead to 20-11.  The Eagles finished off with a 5-2 run to close it out 25-13.

The second set was another tight affair.  The Mustangs, however,  played like a desperate team and did not yield to the Eagles' serving pressure as in set one.  This resulted in a better offensive output by the Mustangs and they were able to match the Eagles' attack game for most of the set.  The turning point of the set occurred at 17-17when the Mustangs failed to convert on a transition attack attempt which was then followed by an ace by Kareemah Muhammad.  This 2 point swing set the stage for a 6-2 run that closed out the set 25-19.

The third set saw the Eagles take an early lead at 5-2 and never look back.  Although the Mustangs closed to within 1 at 7-6,  the Eagles went a 5-1 run to extend the lead to 12-7.  Another 5-2 run sparked by the serving of Amy Cooper sealed the fate of SUNY Morrisville as the Mustangs were looking at an impossible task of coming back from a 17-9 deficit.  The Eagles kept the pressure on to finish off the set on a 8-4 run to close out the match 3-0.

Katie Cooper and Kareemah Muhammad led the way with 28 of the team's 42 kills.  Subhana Wrights added 10 blocks                                                                                                                                            
The Eagles face-off against SUNY IT tomorrow at noon as they fight to enter the NEAC tourney and try extend their wins record.

EAGLES AVENGE LOSS TO DOLPHINS IN 2010 AND TIE RECORD

The College of Saint Elizabeth Screaming Eagles tied the record for highest number of wins in the program's history with a victory tonight against the Dolphins of the College of Staten Island.  The Eagles avenged a hard fought 2010 loss to these same Dolphins.

The Eagles came out of the gate fast and never looked back in set one as CSE's passing, defense, serving game and attack was nearly perfect from the start.  The team won the set 25-17 and hit for 12 kills in the process.

The second set proved to be more difficult as the Dolphins finally began to find their offense and kept the Eagles from pulling away.  CSE held a slim 18-17 lead when, after a timeout by the Dolphins,  the Eagles went on a 4-0 run to push CSE to a more comfortable 22-17 lead.  The Eagles had to fight back one more Dolphin surge but in the end, the Eagles earned a well-deserved 25-21 set victory.  Although the Eagles suffered through some serving woes,  the CSE offense was simply stellar.  The Eagles hit for 18 kills in the set and a season high .400 efficiency to overcome the passing errors and serving errors afflicting the team this set.

The third and decisive set was another tight battle but the Eagles were in control throughout, maintaining a 2-3 point lead through the entirety of the match.  Although the offense hit for 12 kills again, it was the defensive game and the Eagles' serving that sealed the deal.  The Eagles' defense stepped up in the latter stages of the match to help the team create a cushion and eventually lead to the inevitable set and match point at 25-21.

Subhana Wrights was unstoppable, hitting for a season and career high 15 kills and a .333 efficiency rating.  Kareemah Muhammad and Katie Cooper combined for 18 kills themselves as they kept the The team goes for the school record in wins, for a .500 record and to maintain the hope an NEAC tourney appearance this weekend versus SUNY Morrisville on Saturday at 3pm and SUNY IT on Sunday at 12pm.

RAVENS NO MATCH FOR EAGLES

The Screaming Eagles stepped up their game against the Rosemont Ravens to keep their hopes alive for a .500 season and a possible post-season berth.  CSE also inched 1 win closer to tying the school record for number of wins.

Rosemont couldn't deal with the Eagles' serving and attacking game as the Eagles pressured the Ravens from the initial point and took control of each set early and never let up.  Kareemah Muhammad and Katie Cooper were virtually unstoppable as they hit for 15 kills a piece while Subhana Wrights continued her steady play out of the middle adding 8 kills and 2 blocks to the cause.  Chanice Sears was steady as ever defensively as she added another 2 blocks to her season total.  Rachel Hausler was a perfect 22 of 22 in serve receptions and added 23 digs to anchor a near perfect passing game in a 25-17, 25-13, 25-13 win.

The Eagles' record now stands at 10W-12L, 1 win away from tying the school record of wins.  The Eagles travel to College of Staten Island for a midweek match as CSE tries yet again to crawl 1 game closer to .500.

VALIANTS OUTLAST EAGLES

The College of Saint Elizabeth's Screaming Eagles Volleyball Team was looking to get to .500 with 2 wins versus Saturday's opponents Manhattanville Valiants and Rosemont Ravens.  The day did not start out quite as expected.

The Valiants posed a big threat to the Eagles as their offense and serving game matched up well against CSE.  The match became a contest to see who would commit the fewest unforced errors and the Eagles unfortunately could not win it.  The Valiants won 25-18, 25-22, 25-15 in a match that saw the Eagles be ahead or tied with the Valiants at various points in the match but, true to form in this match, unforced errors cost the Eagles dearly.  A small play that exemplified the team's struggles in this match ocurred in the second set.  After the Valiants had taken a 22-18 lead, the Eagles, behind the hitting of Kareemah Muhammad, had crawled back to within 1 at 22-21.  The teams traded points and with the score 23-22, the Eagles commited an unforced error on the serve to give the Valiants the lead at 24-22.  The Valiants closed it out 1 point later.

Subhana Wrights was dominant and Kareemah Muhammad was the team leader in kills with 12 but it was not enough to carry the Eagles to victory.  Chanice Sears also had a solid defensive game, leading the team in block touches with 6 and caused problems for the Valiant offense all match long.

CSE now has a 9W-12L record.

SCREAMING EAGLES TAKE OUT THE BLOODHOUNDS ON THINK PINK NIGHT!

The Eagles hosted the John Jay College Bloodhounds on Think Pink Night in front of a raucous crowd who was looking to see CSE take out another opponent at home.  The Eagles did not disappoint.

The Eagles' serving game overwhelmed the Bloodhounds throughout the match and seemed to be the antidote to the hitting woes of the team on this night.  The Eagles struggled to find consistency in their hitting all night although at various times different players stepped up and delivered a kill at a crucial point in the set.

The Eagles jumped out to an insurmountable 12-2 lead and never looked back in set 1 as the team cruised to a 25-13 win.

Set 2 was more of the same although the Bloodhounds seemed to get their receiving game and offense in a better state late in set 2.  Although the Eagles led 17-11 late in the match, John Jay College clawed back to within 3 at 20-17 before the Eagles closed it out with a 5-1 run to win 25-18.

The third set was a mirror opposite to the first two.  John Jay College's serving game came to life as did their offense early on and the Bloodhounds jumped on the Eagles to the tune of a 6-1 lead.  At 8-4,  the Eagles started making a comeback, again off their serving, and cut the lead to 2 at 9-7.  The game was a back and forth affair the rest of the way with the Eagles unable to close the 2 point gap due to key hitting and passing errors.  At 20-18, however,  the Bloodhounds committed a serving error which turned the momentum squarely on the Eagles side.  The Eagles went on a 6-1 run to get to 24-21 behind the serving of Kareemah Muhammad who put the Bloodhounds into poor hitting situations and yielded key errors.  Although John Jay College got 1 more point on a successful middle attack, the next point saw a perfect pass by Rachel Hausler lead to a pin point set by Amy Cooper to her sister Katie Cooper who delivered the knockout blow and closed out the match 25-22.

The Eagles record now stands at 9W - 11L.  The Eagles need three more wins to break the wins record at CSE and also need 16 wins total to guarantee themselves a .500 record and a berth in post-season play.

The Eagles embark on their quest on Saturday versus Manhattanville and Rosemont College.

NEAC WEEKEND BRINGS MIXED RESULTS FOR CSE

The Eagles traveled to Penn State Berks this weekend to take on the Bison of Gallaudet, the Lions of PS Berks, the Chargers of Lancaster Bible College and the Lions of Penn State Harrisburg.

Day 1

The Eagles opened with defending NEAC Champion Gallaudet.  The story of the match was that the Bison serving attack was able to force the Screaming Eagles passing game into many poor passes that did not allow the Eagle offense to get into rhythm.  Although there were many long rallies in the match, the Eagles just didn't seem to be on the winning end of those and the Bison were able to maintain a comfortable distance between themselves and CSE throughout the match.  CSE falls to Gallaudet 25-14, 25-11, 25-11.  Katie Cooper led the way offensively for the Eagles with 9 kills and 2 aces.

The Eagles then faced off against 2011 #1 ranked team and 2010 NEAC Runner-Up Penn State Berks.
The Eagles came into the match looking to improve their passing and, as result, their offense against the Lions but this tough serving team kept the Eagles off balance and the Lions were the ones able to pound out kills consistently.  The Eagles were unable to convert on their opportunities consistently and had to rely on their serving game to keep things close.  The Lions, however, did not allow the Eagles to get into any consistent run and CSE fell for the second time 25-14, 25-14, 25-14. Kareemah Muhammad and Katie Cooper led the way offensively with 6 kills apiece and Subhana Wrights chipped in 5 and added 3 blocks.  Chanice Sears had 3 aces on the day to pace the Eagle serving attack.


Day 2

The Eagles took on the Chargers in their first match on Sunday and seemed to have fixed some of their passing woes that plagued then on Saturday.  The offense though, sputtered and couldn't figure out a consistent way to attack the Charger defense.  The team dropped the first set 25-16 in a tight affair that was close until late in the set when Lancaster Bible pulled away for good.  Set number 2 though saw a much more spirited and efficient Eagle team who passed well and therefore, ran offense well. The Eagles pounded out 11 kills in the set and took control late to win 25-21.

CSE could not sustain the momentum they gathered from the win and saw the third set turn early as the Chargers took control 9-3 and never looked back as they closed the set 25-13.  The fourth set was an improvement but only after the Eagles yet again fell behind midway through the set.  With the Eagles coming back to tie the set 7-7,  the Chargers went on a 9-0 run to create the space they needed to ice the Eagles.  CSE falls to the Chargers 16-25, 25-21, 13-25 and 17-25.  Kareemah Muhammad and Katie Cooper combined for 19 kills and 2 aces to lead the Eagles.  Katie Cooper and Rachel Hausler added 28 digs combined.

CSE closed out the weekend against the Lions of Penn State Harrisburg.  The Lions gave the Eagles all they could handle in a tight match that went 5 sets.  The EAgles miscues were the culprit in the first set as the team saw Harrisburg take a 16-25 win in set 1.  Set 2 was a much cleaner game, especially at the end of the match, when Rachel Hausler took control of things from the service line and helped the Eagles land a 25-22 come from behind set win.  The third set saw the return of the miscues that, combined with better serving from Harrisburg,  took a toll on the Eagles' offense early.  The Eagles took control midway through the set through the timely hitting of Subhana Wrights and never looked back as the Eagles finished strong with a 25-17 score.  The fourth set saw a continuation of Eagle miscues and the Lions pounced on the opportunity as they fought to survive in the match. Although the Eagles mounted a late comeback,  Harrisburg had too much of a lead and closed out the set 25-22.  In the fifth and deciding set, the Eagles were nearly flawless.  Although the Lions took a quick 2-0 lead, the Eagles saw a drastic improvement in their play that led to an early lead (7-4) that the Eagles would not relinquish. After the Lions crwaled to within 2 at 7-5, CSE went on a damaging 5-0 (12-5 )run that put the Lions in dire straits.  The Eagles outscored the Lions 3-2 the rest of the way and closed out the set and match 15-7.

Subhana Wrights was outstanding in the match, pounding out a team leading 14 kills, also a season and career high.  The passing trio of Katie Cooper, Misato Oya and Rachel Hausler was outstanding as the Eagles offense was able to attack the Lions in transition with good quality attempts.  Rachel Hausler was key in solidifying the win as she passed up a team leading 27 digs that helped spur the Eagles' offense.  Kareemah Muhammad and Katie Cooper added 25 kills while Amy Cooper distributed 33 assists and added a team leading 4 aces.  Chanice Sears added 3 aces and 4 kills.  Jenae Goodson used her serving prowess to add 3 aces and also helped set the offense up with 3 assists.  Ibmatu Sesay kept the backrow defense steady and chipped in 1 assist and 1 dig.

LIONS ARE NO MATCH FOR THE EAGLES

The Lions of King's College fought valiantly against the Eagles of CSE but to no avail.  The Eagles serving game was too much for the Lions and the Eagles showed yet again the killer instinct that they had in the last three sets versus Bryn Athyn.

CSE started off a bit slow in the first set, netting 4 serving errors in the first 7 rotations which kept the Lions close early.  However, behind the serving of Rachel Hausler and Amy Cooper, the team soon regained full control of the match and closed it out with a 13-3 to finish with a comfortable 25-9 win.

Set 2 was more of the same, with CSE dictating the tempo of the match with their serving game and offense. CSE was very efficient on offense which allowed the team to stay aggressive on all phases of the game. The Eagles followed a .388 hitting % in the first set with a 12 kill, .241 hitting % effort in the second to close it out rather easily 25-13.

The third set saw the Lions take an early lead at 6-3 but the serving game of Rachel Hausler yet again was key as it took the Lions out of their offensive offensive system and allowed for easy swings by the offense.  CSE dominated the set late and closed out the set and match at 25-12.

Rachel Hausler was a major key to the success as she hit for 8 aces with no errors from the service line to pace the team.  Amy Cooper chipped in 4 aces for the Eagles and added 21 assists to the cause.  Kareemah Muhammad and Katie Cooper combined for 15 kills while Subhana Wrights added 8 kills of her own out of the middle and combined for 5 blocks with teammate and captain  Chanice Sears who also added 3 kills.

The Eagles go to PS Berks to play four matches in Conference Play this weekend.  

EAGLES LOSE 1ST SET BUT REBOUND TO BEAT BRYN ATHYN

The Screaming Eagles took to the court on Tuesday night looking to improve their record and solidify their home court advantage.  CSE welcomed back Amy Cooper and had Rachel Hausler in the lineup as well and all signs pointed to a good night.  The Bryn Athyn Lions stood in the way of the Eagles and their goal on this night.

The first set could not have started any better for the Eagles.  Before the fans had a chance to get comfortable, the Eagles had jumped out to an 8-0 lead.  CSE continued to pour it on and extended the lead to 16-3.  Many thought the set was over but credit the Lions for their fighting spirit as they slowly chipped away at the lead.  The Eagles seemed to still be in control of the set at 23-13 but then the wheels came off the Eagles' offense and passing game.  After a few aces and quite a few hitting errors,  the Eagles were staring at the unthinkable, as Bryn Athyn closed to within 1 at 23-22.  CSE could not take advantage of their break of serve on the next point and proceeded to miss their next 2 serves to give the Lions the opening they needed to take the set 27-25.

Many teams would not have recovered from that type of loss but the Eagles stayed together and fought back in a crucial 2nd set.  Once again CSE held a late lead at 18-12 only to see Bryn Athyn crawl back to within 2 at 19-17 and then again at 21-19.  The Eagles could not hold back the Lions at this point and Bryn Athyn was poised to take the 2nd set as they tied the score at 22.  This time though, the Eagles were able to close out the set 25-22.

The Eagles got a tremendous lift from their win in set 2 and began the 3rd set on fire.  The Eagles jumped out to a 4-1 lead, extended it to 10-5 and opened it up to 17-8 midway through the match.  Bryn Athyn fought back to within 6 at 21-15 but this time CSE did not fold and closed out the set convincingly 25-15.

The 4th set was a back and forth affair as expected.  Bryn Athyn was staring at a 4 set defeat after starting with a monumental comeback in set 1 and the team played as if their entire year was on the line.  After trailing 9-7,  the Lions stormed back to take the lead 16-13.  The Screaming Eagles would not yield though and quickly went on a 6-0 run to take the lead at 19-16, a lead they would not relinquish.  The Eagles finished the match on another run (6-1) and ended the match with an ace.  The Eagles were nearly flawless in this set, hitting for 14 kills while committing only 1 error (.520).

Kareemah Muhammad and Katie Cooper led the Eagle offense, hitting for 31 kills and 5 aces.  The team hit for a record high 46 kills and Katie Cooper now shares the record for total kills in a match and owns the record for kills in 4 sets outright.  The team also hit for 17 aces, a season high accomplishment. Captains Chanice Sears and Amy Cooper pounded out 5 aces each to lead the team.

CSE's record now stands at 6W-8L.  The Eagles face-off versus King's College on Thursday evening.

SEASON IN REVIEW AS OF 9/25

Since starting the 2011 season 1W-5L,  the Screaming Eagles have gone 4W-3L.  During the first NEAC conference week,  the Eagles went 2W-2L, including a 4 set victory over arch rival St. Joe's of Brooklyn at home and their first ever NEAC win against SUNY Cobleskill.

This past week, the Eagles earned their 2nd Conference win vs. Penn State - Abbington and ended the week 2W-1L with a win over Cooper Union.  The Eagles have accomplished this despite losing starting setter Amy Cooper for 4 full matches thus far.  The team record over that stretch is 2W-2L behind the outstanding effort of freshman backup setter Jenae Goodson who is playing the position for the first time in her volleyball career. The team has 5 matches from 9/27 through 10/2, including 3 more NEAC matches as they fight to get to .500 for the season.

The CSE Volleyball Record book is literally being rewritten after each match as the team is breaking individual season records almost every time they step on the court.  The defense is statistically, at this point in the season, the best the school has ever seen.  There are 3 players that are on pace to hit for over 150 kills and 2 that can reach 200 at current pace.  That also would be a season best in the history of the school.  The present of Eagles Volleyball looks bright but the future looks even brighter as all of these accomplishments are being achieved by mostly freshman and sophomores.

BIG INJURY CHANGES EAGLE FORTUNES VERSUS CULINARY

In an expected tight match versus Culinary Lady Steels,  the outcome of the match was predicated on CSE's ability to return serve, convert on offense and prevent the Lady Steels of Culinary to find their 2 main offensive weapons.  For the most part,  the Eagles were able to serve receive well (2.09 rating),  run offense (39 kills), and, in effect, shut down 1 of Culinary's offensive weapons. However,  unforced hitting errors and service errors proved to be the deciding factor as the Eagles gave away 44 points (34 hitting errors and 10 service errors)  in the match.

Set #1 started off as well as the Eagles could have hoped for.  The team stormed out to a 7-3 lead, extended that lead to 15-8 and never looked back as the Eagles took the set 25-20.  Kareemah Muhammad continued her amazing Saturday with a 6 kill - 1 error performance out of the outside (.500 efficiency) in the first set to pace the offense.  The team was also perfect in terms of service receptions (18/18) led as usual by Rachel Hausler's 11/11 passing (2.44 rating).

The 2nd set, however, was a mirror opposite of the first set as it unfolded.  The Eagles trailed 7-3 early and 7-12 but stormed back to tie the score at 15 behind the serving of Katie Cooper and offense of Kareemah Muhammad.  After the Lady Steels extended the lead to 23-19, many fans at the Nest probably thought that the set was over but, true to the way the Eagles have played all year,  the players never stopped believing the could come back and behind the serving of Jenae Goodson, CSE stormed back to within 2 at 24-22 but couldn't overcome the deficit and fell 25-22.

The 3rd set began much the same way the prior set did with the Eagles trailing early and having to fight back into the match.  Down 12-4, the Eagles mounted another furious comeback behind the serving of Libero Rachel Hausler who forced the Lady Steels offense to sputter and collapse as the Eagles in a matter of 5 minutes had cut the lead to 2 at 12-10.  But then, adversity hit the squad.  Rachel sprained her ankle to the point that she could not continue in the set.  Luisa Solano came off the bench to spell Rachel and promptly aced out the Lady Steels to bring CSE to within 1 but the Lady Steels were able to break serve and without Rachel in the match they exploited the vulnerable CSE serve receive and pushed the lead back up and controlled the set at 21-13.

A hobbling Rachel Hausler came back into the match in the midst of this run then and, although limited in movement, was able to stabilize the serve receive and defensive patterns immediately and the Eagles created good offensive opportunities but were unable to convert. The Eagles continued to battle and crawled back to within 3 at 23-20 going on a 7-2 run, but couldn't climb all the way back, dropping the set 25-20.

In the pivotal 4th set,  defensive and serve receive adjustments were made due to Rachel's injury that put the pressure on Misato Oya, Ibby Sesay and Katie Cooper to cover more of Rachel's passing area.  The Eagles seemed to get an emotional lift from having Rachel on the court but still struggled to put the ball away and fell behind yet again 10-4.  But the heart of this team is not to be questioned as they stormed back to take the lead  behind the serving of Rachel and the offense of Katie Cooper and Captain Chanice Sears who combined for four kills in a 8-2 run that saw the Eagles tie the score at 12.  Jenae Goodson continued to put on pressure from the service line as she tacked on a few more aces and put the Lady Steels on their heels as the Eagles jumped out front 15-13.

Perhaps it was the result of the immense amount of energy the Eagles expended coming back in three sets or perhaps it was the Lady Steels hitting the zones Rachel Hausler could not physically cover anymore but regardless of the reason, the Eagles began to commit errors at this juncture that cost them dearly.  From 15-13 on,  Culinary went on a 10-4 run that saw the Eagles commit 4 hitting errors and 1 service error.  Meanwhile, Culinary hit for 5 kills to CSE's 2 and it sealed the Eagles' fate as the team lost the set and match 25-19.

Another great gutsy effort by the Eagles in the end, showing great resolve and a no quit attitude that is exemplary and bodes well for the future but ultimately the Eagles know that they squandered an opportunity to get within 1 game of .500 for the season.

COOPER UNION LADY HAWKS NO MATCH FOR THE EAGLES

In a match that was never in doubt from the first 10 service points when the Eagles stormed out to an 8-2 lead,  CSE controlled the tempo of each set and dictated play to take the Lady Hawks out in 3 sets (25-18, 15-14, 25-13).

The Eagles offense benefited from numerous free ball opportunities created by the serving pressure and attack pressure applied by numerous Eagle players.  CSE converted these opportunities at a season high rate of .214 led by the outside offense of Captain Kareemah Muhammad and Katie Cooper.  Kareemah hit for 13 kills out of 23 attempts and only one error for a record breaking .522 rate, placing her as the #1 Attack % leader in a single match in CSE history.  Kareemah and Katie combined for 20 kills out of 43 attempts to pace the Eagle offense.

Rachel Hausler continued her outstanding passing to trigger the offense with a perfect 14/14 reception rate and a 2.42 pass rating.  Katie Cooper was nearly as flawless going 10/11 with a 2.0 rating.

Captain Chanice Sears paced the serving offense with 5 aces out of 16 attempts, accounting for half of the team's aces in the match.

Overall, this was a match that the Eagles controlled from start to finish and posed few problems for the team.  The 3rd set was nearly flawless.  The team hit for only 7 kills (out of 13 attempts) but had no errors (.538 rate).  CSE also passed perfectly in the set (9 of 9) at a 2.44 rating and added 5 aces out of 25 attempts (20%) in a dominant end to the match.

Considering that the Eagles lost in 4 to Cooper Union last year at the onset of the season and won in 5 at Cooper Union later on,  this was a great indicator as to how far the team has come in such a short time.

MEET CAPTAIN KAREEMAH MUHAMMAD (OH)

1. Personal goals for 2011: Finish 2011 out strong.

2. Best volleyball moment of my career thus far: Last season when we
started out we were all new to the positions we play now and
throughout the season we proved why we earned those spots.

3. My hopes for this season is that we at least reach 500.

4. I got into volleyball because I was forced by Chanice and at the
end I ended up loving it.

5. My hobbies are Volleyball, Writing, Sleeping and Reading

6. My favorite movie is Life with Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.

7. I love all music I really do not have a favorite.

8. Dewayne Wade <3.

9. Once I graduate I plan on searching and finding a job then going
straight into teaching Kindergartners.

10. When I'm 30 I see myself teaching and getting my daycare off the
ground and making it statewide.

MEET CAPTAIN AMY COOPER (SETTER)

PERSONAL GOALS FOR 2011

My goals for 2011 are to get all A’s in my classes. I also want to become very involved at school and make a difference.

BEST VOLLEYBALL MOMENT OF MY CAREER THUS FAR

Beating the number one team in our division last year at County College of Morris in our division tournament while being the under dogs

HOPES FOR THIS VOLLEYBALL SEASON

To have a season where we have laughs but still work extremely hard and of course win.

 

HOW I GOT INTO VOLLEYBALL

I started playing volleyball in sixth grade. My parents played volleyball and got both my sister and I interested in playing. We played on a recreation team. My entire family is a volleyball family. My parents, my uncle, my siblings, and even my grandfather played some when he was younger. I give all the credit to my dad though. He really got me started and has pushed me to get to where I am.

 

HOBBIES

I love being with little kids, especially when they can run and play outside. My favorite hobby though is Country Line Dancing. I learned when I was 7 years old from my grandfather and am teaching the next generation now. I also like playing card and board games as well as I love to sing while my dad plays his guitar.

 

FAVORITE MOVIE

The Blind Side

 

FAVORITE SONG/MUSIC

Country Music/ You by Chris Young

 

FAVORITE ATHLETE

I do not really have a favorite athlete, I usually don’t watch sports on television, I would rather be outside participating in them.

 

PLANS AFTER GRADUATION

Move down to Lake Anna Virginia and begin teaching. I am hoping to go back to school to receive my Autism degree which is what I would truly want to do.

 

WHERE DO I SEE MYSELF WHEN I TURN 30

I see myself married with possibly two kids. I most likely see myself fostering a child or maybe more as a continue through my life. I see myself in a water access home on Lake Anna with the rest of my family living nearby. 

MEET 2ND YEAR CAPTAIN CHANICE SEARS (MB)

Chanice has been a steady influence this year in another chaotic season with so many new faces and new players entering the 2011 campaign.  Chanice is a multi-tool player who is one of our defensive players, one of our most impactful servers, a great blocker and a consistent producer on offense.  In short,  Chanice's volleyball persona mimics her persona outside of the court.  She is playing MB this year.

PERSONAL AND TEAM GOALS: Graduate from college with honors and become the first math major in my family.  One of the team goals that I will like for us to accomplish is GET INTO CONFERENCE TOURNEY. 

BEST MOMENT OF COLLEGIATE VOLLEYBALL CAREER THUS FAR: At the awards banquet receiving the award for Most Improved.

THOUGHTS ON TEAM/SEASON THIS YEAR: It is exciting to see all the new players gel with all the returners and finally WIN SOME GAMES!

HOW DID YOU GET INTO VOLLEYBALL: I got into volleyball my freshmen year in high school.  My swim coach was also the volleyball coach and recruited me for the sport.

HOBBIES: Swimming, Volleyball, Reading, Going out with friends 

FAVORITE MOVIE:  My all time favorite movie is Love and Basketball.

FAVORITE TV SHOW:  The Game

FAVORITE MUSIC/SONG:  Gospel

FAVORITE ATHLETE: Serena Williams

PLANS AFTER YOU GRADUATE: I plan to teach Special Education for a couple of years and pursue a master’s degree in Speech and Language Pathology.

WHAT YOU ENVISION YOUR LIFE TO BE IN 10 YEARS: In ten years I envision this young, stylish, modern wife with a big house and a fancy car working her butt off for everything she owns. 

EAGLES GO ON THE ROAD AND EARN A HARD FOUGHT VICTORY

The Screaming Eagles took on PS-Abbington this past Thursday looking to get closer to .500 as they adjusted to life without starting setter Amy Cooper who is still recovering from a concussion.  The Eagles tweaked their lineup and placed the pressure of running the offense again on the shoulders of freshman Jenae Goodson.

Jeanae looked a lot more comfortable in this new role than the last match in which she was forced into action.  The team passed well and although the first set started with many offensive miscues, the Eagles slowly chipped away at a 6-1 deficit to eventually take the lead late in the set.  CSE controlled the set late and escaped with a 25-23 win.

The second set saw Jenae Goodson open up with 6 service points as the Eagles built an insurmountable 14-4 lead and never looked back in route to a 25-14 set win.

The final set saw a desperate Nittany Lion team fight for every point and Penn State actually held a 20-19 lead late in the match.  However, betwwen the serving of Jannet Chaudry and Rachel Hausler, the team closed out the match 25-23.

Kareemah Muhammad led the team in kills with 11 and Katie Cooper chipped in 6 while adding 2 aces.
Chanice Sears and Subhana Wrights added 9 kills out of the middle and combined for 3 blocks.

Jenae Goodson had a solid match, notching 19 assists and earning 1 ace and 2 digs.

CSE's record now stands at 4W - 7L.

SHORT-HANDED EAGLES TAKE ON CAZENOVIA

The Eagles began their last match of NEAC weekend less than 100%.  Setter Amy Cooper who has been breaking single season match records almost every time she plays was out due to a mild concussion suffered versus Keuka.  The pressure fell squarely on the shoulders of freshman Jenae Goodson who had to lead the team in this highly important match versus Cazenovia. 

The Eagles struggled to find consistency in their passing and offense but were hanging close to Cazenovia thanks to their superb serving.  The Eagles trailed early 5-0 but fought back to within 1 at 16-15.  The Eagles saw Cazenovia extend the lead to 5 again thanks to a couple of passing and attacking errors and could not close the gap as  Cazenovia took the set 25-20.  The 2^nd set saw more of the same although the offense was much more productive thanks to the good passing on serve receive.  The team hit for 9 kills in the set and fought back from a 24-19 deficit to 24-23 before bowing out to Cazenovia.

The 3^rd and final set was a repeat of the first unfortunately.  The Eagles’ gave up an early lead (9-5) but fought back to within 1 at 16-15.  The passing errors and attacking errors came back again as Cazenovia extended the lead to 20-15 and never looked back, closing out the set at 25-19. 

The Eagles were outstanding from the service line, scoring on 13 aces while only committing 4 errors but the passing errors and attacking errors cost the Eagles as the team could not find its attacking rhythm. 

Jenae Goodson performed admirably in extremely adverse conditions, dishing out 16 assists and scoring 2 aces in the loss.  Katie Cooper led the attack with 8 kills and had a team high 5 aces.  Chanice Sears had 3 kills and 3 aces in the loss. 

CSE takes on conference opponent Penn State Abbington on Thursday, September 22 at PS Abbington.

EAGLES COME UP SHORT AGAINST KEUKA

With the Eagles’ first conference victory in the bank,  CSE looked to score an upset against Keuka College.  Keuka, however, had other ideas.

Keuka pounded the Eagles into submission in set 1 and the Storm put the Eagles into tough situations with their serving and CSE just could not get their offense in gear.  The squad managed only 5 kills in the set and were never much of a factor in the 25-14 loss of the set.

The 2^nd set was a complete turnaround as the Eagles managed to control their passing and attack with greater efficiency.  They stood toe-to-toe with Keuka and began to slow down the Storm’s offense in the process.  The Eagles pulled away late and closed out the set 25-23.  The team hit for 11 kills and only 4 errors in the set.

The 3^rd set proved to be more of the same as the Eagles and Keuka engaged in another point for point battle.  The Eagles still got 11 kills in the set but had 7 errors and that was enough to give the storm breathing room as they pulled away late and scored an 18-25 set win.

The 4^th set was a repeat but setter Amy Cooper had taken a hit on the head earlier in the match and had to come out of the match due to concussion concerns.   Late in the set as the Eagles had pulled to a tie at 15.  The Eagles struggled with the new setter and gave up points to the Storm rather quickly as their offense  sputtered.  Eagles fell to the Storm 19-25.

Katie Cooper led the offensive effort with 12 kills and Subhana Wrights and Chanice Sears held the middle together with a combined 13 kills.  Kareemah Muhammad chipped in with 7 kills to round out the offense.  Rachel Hausler once again led the team in pass attempts (50) and digs (16) while Misato Oya had another 10 digs to lead the defensive effort.

CSE OPENS NEAC WEEKEND WITH A WIN

The Screaming Eagles opened the NEAC weekend with a win versus the SUNY Cobleskill squad in a tight 4 set match.  CSE opened up the match aggressive but wild as numerous passes, serves and attacks were not finding the court.  SUNY however was much more efficient in those areas and took control of the match early, winning the set easily, 25-14.

The 2^nd set was a drastic improvement for the Eagles as the team’s passing became more consistent.  CSE put down 13 kills in the set to only 7 errors and pulled away at the midpoint of the set to cruise to a 25-16 win.

The 3^rd set was a tight battle as both teams traded points throughout most of the set.  CSE began to pull away late but Cobleskill hung on and cut the lead to 1 at 24-23 before the Eagles closed it out.  The Eagles put down another 12 kills but only committed 5 errors which became the difference in the set.

The final set saw a CSE squad take over the match early and never really relinquish the 5 point cushion it built early.  The offense was outstanding thanks to the passing game and great defense the team played to shut down SUNY.  CSE took the set and match 25-20.

Kareemah Muhammad was the team’s kill leader pounding out a career high 14 kills while Subhana Wrights put down 12 kills, also a career high, and added 3 blocks.  Rachel Hausler led the team defensively with 17 digs while Amy Cooper dished out a season high 36 assists.

EAGLES TAKE HOME OPENER FOR SECOND WIN

The Screaming Eagles took on the St. Joe's Bears to open their home schedule of the 2011 season.  The Eagles came from one set down to earn a 14-25, 25-17, 25-21 and 25-21 win in front of a raucous crowd of nearly 300.

St. Elizabeth clearly felt the nerves in the first set playing in front of such a great crowd.  The team could not keep its attacks or serves in play and gave up easy points to the Bears in losing 14-25.

The second set saw a much more settled CSE team and the perfect passes that were coming out of the backrow from Katie Cooper, Misato Oya and Rachel Hausler made life for setter Amy Cooper very easy as she distributed 9 assists through her hitting options of Katie, Chanice Sears, Subhana Wrights and Kareemah Muhammad.  Of note,  Jannet Chaudry came into the match in the second set as the team continued to try to adjust without injured Jenae Goodson and proceeded to score the second highest service points on the team for the set.  CSE pulled away late and took set two, 25-17.

The third set brought much of the same except that the Bears started fighting for every ball as if it would be their last which made the game tight at times as the Bears kept numerous balls in play that looked like they were headed toward the floor.  The Eagles for their part yielded no aces and relied on the overpowering presence of Subhana Wrights (5 kills, 3 blocks in the set) in the middle to control the match.

The fourth and deciding was error filled on both sides but the team found a way to close the set and match out.  Late in the set, Subhana Wrights came in and quickly took control of the set with a block and a kill.  Those two points sparked the team and behind the steady and accurate passing of Rachel Hausler,  Subhana Wrights was allowed to continue pressuring the Bear defense which couldn't generate offensive opportunities.  Eagles took the set and match 25-21 for their second win of the season!

COOPER SISTERS SHINE AS EAGLES DROP 3 AT BRYN ATHYN

St. Elizabeth traveled to Bryn Athyn to take on the Bryn Mawr Owls, the Goucher College Gophers and the Gwynned Mercy College Griffins this past Saturday.

The Screaming Eagles started off the day exceptionally well,  closing the first set out with a 25-22 win but the serve receive of the Eagles abandoned them in the second set and the Owls overwhelmed the Eagles 25-11.  The 3rd set was a tight match until late when the Owls pulled away late to take the set 25-19.  The 4th set was by far the best for both teams with multiple lead changes throughout the set as neither team could establish control.

CSE jumped out to a 21-19 lead behind 2 aces from Amy Cooper and then again 22-20 one serving rotation later.  The Owls broke serve and ran off three straight points as the Eagles could not find their offense to take a commanding 24-22 lead.  St. Elizabeth would not yield though and after a perfect pass from Rachel Hausler to Amy Cooper,  Amy set up Katie Cooper for a vital kill to bring the Eagles within 1 at 23-24.  Katie followed her sister's lead and served up 2 aces to give the Eagles the shot to take the set at 25-24.  Bryn Mawr was able to sideout however and closed out the set and match at 27-25.


The Eagles' next match was against a powerful Goucher College team that was favored to sweep the day's matches.  Although the Eagles were shorthanded due to an injury to Jenae Goodson,  Jannet Chaudry filled in effectively for CSE in this match and versus Gwynned Mercy.

The Eagles fell behind early to Goucher 4-0 but fought back to tie the game at 5 early.  The Gophers jumped out to a 18-8 lead but the Eagles kept clawing back getting on a 6-1 run that pulled them within 1 at 14-19.  Goucher got the ball back and extended their lead back to 21-16 but the Eagles refused to quit and fought to within 2 at 20-22 and then again at 21-23.  The comeback fell short though as the Gophers were able to close out the set 25-21.

The second saw a much more aggressive Eagles team but that aggressiveness also yielded numerous errors as CSE could not convert their opportunities into points and fell to the Gophers 25-11.
The Eagles rebounded nicely for the third set though.  The team fought point by point with the Goucher Gophers as neither team could muster more than a 2 point lead at any point.  After the Eagles jumped ahead at 18-17,  Goucher ran off three straight points to take a crucial 2 point lead late in the match.  The Eagles tried to come back and got as close as 22-23 but fell short as the Gophers took the set and match 25-22.

The Eagles' last match was against the Grifins of Gwynned Mercy and both teams came in 0W-2L for the day.  CSE looked fatigued as the usually reliable passing deserted them and the defensive effort just was not evident through the first set.  Katie Cooper kept the team in it hitting for 7 of the team's 9 kills in the set but it just wasn't enough offense as the Griffins pulled away late for a 25-21 win.

The second set was more of the same although the passing let the team down again and the Eagles could not muster much offense and fell 25-17.  The 3rd set was more lively and more of what the Eagles expected of themselves.  Although the team fell behind early again, key plays were made by various players to keep the team in the hunt.  CSE fought back from a seemingly insurmountable 19-14 deficit to within 1 at 19-18 but the passing woes and hitting inefficiency returned late in the match and it cost the Eagles as Gwynned Mercy went on a 6-1 run to close out the match at 25-19.

Although various individuals deserve praise for their efforts,  of note, Katie Cooper was the offensive workhorse of the team, putting down 35 kills of the team's 81 kills in the 3 matches (nearly 12 kills per match).  She was also second on the team with 25 digs and in aces with 6.  Amy Cooper is the other notable as she ran a very effective offense for the Eagles despite some of the passing issues at times.  Amy had 66 assists and was the top ace producer at 8 aces.  Amy was also had the 3rd highest number of digs at 17.  Other Eagles who had an impact were Kareemah Muhammad who was by far the most efficient offensive weapon, hitting a .167 on her 15 kills.  Also, veteran and senior captain Chanice Sears was dominant out of the middle with her team leading 7 blocks.

The Eagles have their home opener on Tuesday, September 13, versus St. Joe's of Brooklyn.

SCREAMING EAGLES EARN THEIR FIRST WIN OF THE 2011 CAMPAIGN

CSE traveled to Baruch College in NY to take on Yeshiva University on Wednesday.  The Eagles were looking to build off their solid performance this past weekend against some tough competition and did not disappoint.  Although the team had a tough time early from the service line and their passing wasn't quite as sharp as it had been this past weekend, the offense was still highly effective and the Eagles were able to  dominate the Macabees at the net.

CSE turned relatively close sets 1 and 2 into routs late as the size of St. Elizabeth's front line was too much for Yeshiva to handle.  Katie Cooper and Captain Kareemah Muhammad led a balanced attack with 10 kills each while Subhana Wrights and Captain Chanice Sears dropped 11 kills total out of the middle.

The Eagles dominated the latter part of the second set and the third thanks to their serving.  The Eagles scored 21 aces from the service line led by opposite freshman Jenae Goodson (7) and Captain Amy Cooper with 5.  Jenae and Amy hit for 10 of their aces in the third set while the team had only 1 reception error.  The 10 kills for the set were the final piece in a dominant performance that saw the Eagles allow only 10 points in the set on route to the win.

The Eagles go to Bryn Athyn this Saturday for three matches.

EARLY IN 2011,  SINGLE MATCH RECORDS FALL 

3 SET DIG TOTAL - #7 RACHEL HAUSLER - 18 DIGS

TOTAL ASSISTS - #7 AMY COOPER - 26 ASSISTS

3 SET ASSIST TOTAL - #1 AMY COOPER - 26 ASSISTS

TOTAL KILLS - #2 KATIE COOPER - 18 KILLS

ATTACK % - #3 KATIE COOPER - 18.2%

3 SET KILL TOTAL - #1 AND #10 AND KATIE COOPER - 18 KILLS / 8 KILLS

CSE OPENS THE 2011 CAMPAIGN WITH CEDAR CREST COLLEGE AND WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY.

The Falcons of Cedar Crest took down the Screaming Eagles in 3 sets, 25-13, 25-21 and 25-13.  This was the Eagles' first match and the nerves showed on the predominately freshman squad.  Although CSE showed flashes of brilliance, the inconsistent termination of plays cost the Eagles key points in the middle of sets 1 and 3 and late in set 2.  These key points turned each set to the Falcons' advantage and erased any hopes of an Eagle comeback.

The Eagles were led on offense by freshman outside hitter Katie Cooper who tallied 8 kills while Captains Kareemah Muhammad and Chanice Sears each hit for 5 kills.  Subhana Wrights joined the balanced attack with 5 kills of her own.  Freshman Libero Rachel Hausler was a perfect 30 of 30 in serve receptions and had a team leading 15 digs in the loss.

Next up for the Eagles were the Pioneers of William Paterson University.  Traditionally this has been a lopsided affair with WPU taking control of matches early and never relinquishing control.  Today, however, was going to be a different match.  The Eagles had an opportunity to take each of the 3 sets but key errors down the stretch cost CSE a shot at their first win of the 2011 campaign as they fell to the Pioneers, 25-22,  25-23 and 25-23.

Katie Cooper single-handedly kept the Eagles in the mix with an outstanding 18 kill, 6 dig performance.  Teammate and sister Amy Cooper chipped in 26 assists, 4 aces, 9 digs and 3 blocks.  Subhana Wrights continued her good start to the 2011 season with a 7 kill, 3 block effort in defeat. Rachel Hausler was yet again a major factor in the match,  tallying an ace, digging up 18 attacks and safely receiving 39 of 42 serves by WPU.