EAGLES DROP 2 AT MANHATTANVILLE TRI

CSE looked to start a new winning streak after their victory at York College earlier in the week but the Blue Angels of New Rochelle and the Valiants of Manhattanville handed 3-1 and 3-0 losses to the Eagles to put CSE under the .500 mark for the first time all season.

CSE took on the Blue Angels in the first match and the Eagles took control of the set at the midpoint with some solid serve receive and transition offense which yielded 13 kills to only 5 errors for the set.  Subhana Wrights and Kareemah Muhammad combined for 8 kills out of 11 attempts with only 1 error to pace the 25-20 set 1 victory.  CSE’s serving never got on track though as the Eagles had 7 service errors and no aces in the set.

Set 2 began much the same way for the Screaming Eagles but the serving prowess of the team did was not evident and the Eagles dropped 3 more service errors to only 1 ace which helped the Blue Angels remain in control of the set.   The Eagles were only able to muster 9 kills to 8 errors (Wrights 6k-2e-10att) as New Rochelle outkilled them in the set and closed it out 21-25.

The 3^rd set was a struggle for the Eagles as they trailed most of the set but Katie Cooper brought the team back from a 22-19 deficit to tie the set late but the Eagles could not finish the last few points as key hitting and service errors cost the team the set at 23-25.

The 4^th set had the Eagles up 8-2 early just to see the Holy Angels take a 9-8 lead.  CSE regained momentum and held a 15-9 lead just to see it evaporate and trail New Rochelle 18-16.  The Blue Angels extended the lead to 23-19 but Katie Cooper took charge behind the service line again and gave the Eagles a 24-23 lead.  After a CNR side-out to save the set, the Eagles couldn’t regain control as no Eagle player could put the ball down at crucial swings which gave the Blue Angels opportunities to win points and close out the set and match 26-28.  The Eagles were led by 18 kills and a .448 hiting % by Subhana Wrights, 7 aces and 29 digs by Katie Cooper and Cheyenne Grant’s 38 assists.

The Manhattanville Valiants overpowered the depleted Eagles for CSE’s 2^nd loss by 16-25, 16-25, 15-25 scores.  CSE hit for only 16 kills (7 by Wrights), had 5 aces (Morera and Cooper combined for 5)and 30 kills (Cooper w/15) but it was not enough to derail the Valiants.

The Eagles are now 8W-9L and are below .500 for the first time since late October 2011.  The Eagles return home on Tuesday to take on Bryn Athyn at 7pm.

EAGLES GET CHEYENNE GRANT BACK, UP-END CARDINALS

The Screaming Eagles traveled to Jamaica, Queens to take on the Cardinals of York College in a non-conference matchup that saw backup setter Cheyenne Grant return and take over the reins of an Eagles squad still missing 2 starters due to injury.

CSE overcame a tough Cardinal squad that pushed the Eagles to a tight 4 set victory (25-22, 23-25, 26-24 and 28-26).

The Eagles realized the Cardinals were not going to be an easy opponent as CSE took control of the first set late at 20-15 just to see the Cardinals go on a 6-1 run driven by 0K on 5 attempts and 2 errors by the Eagles.  At 20-21, a key service error by York tied up the score again and gave the ball back to the Eagles who were able to close it out on a 4-1 run, sparked by the serving of Katie Cooper.

The second set featured more of the same inconsistent serving that plagued the Eagles in the first set but, unlike the previous set, CSE was not able to pull out another late set win due to missing serves on 4 of the last 6 serving attempts which gave the Cardinals all the opportunity they needed to seal the set at 23-25.

The third set serving game got better for the Eagles as Taisha Colon, Katie Cooper and Nicole Morera all hit for aces and only had 1 service error among them to pull the Eagles close to an easy set win at 22-15.  Although the Cardinals closed to within 3 at 23-20, CSE looked in control until another crucial service error gave the ball and momentum back to York who proceeded to tie the score at 23 and jump ahead by 1 at 23-24 before a service error saved the Eagles and knotted up the score at 24.  Taisha Colon hit a short serve that forced York into an errant attack and then followed up with an ace to close out the set 26-24.

In the fourth set, 12 hitting errors by the Eagles (only 7 kills) and 4 service errors opened the door for York to take the set and force a decisive fifth set as they held a seemingly insurmountable 20-24 lead on the Eagles.  Katie Cooper then stepped up and hit 2 aces and forced the Cardinals into 3 out of system attacks that allowed the Eagles to get a kill by Subhana Wrights and Nicole Morera which gave control to the Eagles at 25-24.  Although CSE lost a point on a sideout, another service error by York and another ace by Taisha Colon sealed the set and match victory in dramatic fashion.

The Eagles were led by Nicole Morera and Subhana Wrights with 10 kills each.  Cheyenne Grant spearheaded an opportunistic Eagle offense for a match high 25 assists. Taisha Colon and Katie Cooper served the Eagles into victory with 11 of CSE's 14 aces and only 2 errors.  Katie also led all players with 19 digs and Ayesha Brannon and Morera combined for 30 more digs.  Subhana lad all players with 5 blocks.

The Eagles improved to 8W-7L and snapped a 3-game losing streak.  The Eagles will take on Manhattanville and College of New Rochelle this Saturday at Manhattanville.

EAGLES DROP 3 IN OPENING NEAC WEEKEND

The Screaming Eagles traveled to SUNY IT for the opening weekend of the conference schedule to take on Morrisville State, Wells College and SUNY IT.

CSE was still without a healthy starting setter in Amy Cooper and was missing backup setter Cheyenne Grant and MB/OH Kiana Hawkins so the team employed a 6-2 system for the first time this season as Nicole Morera and Katie Cooper took over setting duties for the weekend.

The team started off well against Morrisville State taking the 1st set 25-15 behind an error free offensive and serving performance which helped the Eagles stifle the Mustang attack.  But the inexperience in the system and the new rotations slowly started to become evident as the Mustangs racked up 13 kills in set 2 to CSE's 7 and pulled away late for a 25-17 set victory.  Morrisville did not look back from that point on as the Eagles just could not straighten out its passing and transition game and the Mustangs outkilled the Eagles in the last 2 sets 24-11 as they sealed the victory with a 25-16 and 25-12 3rd and 4th set wins.

CSE played Wells College in the first of 2 matches in day 2 of the conference schedule.  CSE made slight lineup adjustments to its rotations and it seemed to pay off early as the Eagles were competitive and seemed more comfortable in the 6-2 system.  Wells College took the set 25-17 as both teams hit for 11 kills but CSE posted 4 more hitting errors and 4 more serving errors for the set.  In set 2, the Eagles cleaned up their serving miscues and pounded out 12 kills to Wells' 7 to win the set late 25-23.  Wells doubled up CSE 12-6 in kills and controlled the set to a 25-13 set win.  Facing another potential 4th set loss, the Eagles rallied and hit for 12 kills to only 7 by Wells and took the set 25-18 to force a 5th and final set.  The 5th set saw the Eagles hold a 5-4 lead early but 4 straight hitting errors and a Wells' kill opened an insurmountable 9-5 deficit CSE could not overcome even though the Eagles had only 1 other hitting error the rest of the set.  Although the Eagles out-killed the Express 7-5,  the 4 straight errors proved to be the difference in the end.  The Eagles trailed 14-10 late but forced 1 hitting error and had an ace and a kill of their own to pull within 1 but the comeback was ended on a right-side kill by the Express to take the set and the match 15-13.

Next up for the Eagles was the SUNY IT Wildcats, the current #1 team in the conference at 3W-0L.  The Eagles struggled to generate any offense as the SUNY hitters were able to hit over the pin blockers  at will in a 43-16 kill advantage over the Eagles.  CSE fought through the adversity of its circumstance and its opponent in the 3rd set to pull within 1 at 14-15 but the Wildcats reestablished control and ran away with the set 25-16 to seal the victory.

The Eagles will travel to take on York College on Tuesday and will again travel to Manhattanville College on Saturday to take on the College of New Rochelle and Manhattanville as the Eagles try to end their 3-game losing streak.

WRIGHTS, MORERA, COOPER POWER EAGLES PAST PATRIOTS

Katie Cooper, Nicole Morera push Screaming Eagles in four-set win over visiting Valley Forge

MORRISTOWN, N.J. – The Saint Elizabeth volleyball team won its second straight match of the weekend with a strong team effort Sunday afternoon, defeating Valley Forge Christian College 3-1 (25-11, 25-22, 18-25, 25-15) behind double-double efforts from outside hitters Katie Cooper and Nicole Morera.

Morera posted 11 kills on the afternoon for CSE (8-4) to go along with 12 digs and three service aces. Cooper contributed a strong all-around performance as well, tallying 10 kills with a team-best 19 digs as the Screaming Eagles raced out to a two-game lead.

Valley Forge (1-7) rode a hot serving game on its way to a win in the third game, 25-18.

Saint Elizabeth corrected course in the fourth game with a .354 hitting percentage behind 14 team kills. Middle hitter Subhana Wrights dominated the net with a match-high 12 kills and added a solo block.

Senior setter Cheyenne Grant, in her first start, directed the CSE offense with 34 assists and added six kills (without an error) to go along with 10 digs.

The Screaming Eagles play their next six matches on the road but will return to St. Joseph’s Hall next on Oct. 1 for a 7 p.m.match with Bryn Athyn.   

CSE GOES 1W-1L VS. WILLIAM PATERSON AND ROSEMONT COLLEGE

Screaming Eagles fly past Rosemont, drop five-setter to William Paterson

MORRISTOWN, N.J. – The Saint Elizabeth volleyball team enjoyed the comforts of Saint Joseph Hall, splitting a pair of non-conference matches on Saturday afternoon behind double-doubles from Katie Cooper and Nicole Morera.

The Screaming Eagles (6-4) dropped a tough five-set decision in the morning, falling to visiting William Paterson 25-23, 24-26, 23-25, 25-11, 15-10. CSE rallied in the afternoon match with a convincing sweep of Rosemont, 25-19, 25-20 and 25-17.

Morera, a freshman outside hitter, led CSE in the first match with 16 kills while adding 10 digs. Katie Cooper, also playing on the outside, added 11 kills, 12 digs and five service aces.

Middle hitter Subhana Wrights was also in double-digits with 12 kills with just one attack error. She added 2.5 blocks. Amy Cooper ran the CSE offense, compiling 41 assists while adding five kills and five digs. Ayesha Brannon led the CSE defense with 16 digs.

Saint Elizabeth returned to the court in the afternoon to face the Ravens ended a three-match losing streak behind its offense.

After a strong first-set the Ravens stayed close to CSE in the second set.  The Screaming Eagles ran off three straight points and won the set on a kill by middle Ireyah Stevens.

Morera and K. Cooper finished with six kills apiece. Grant finished out the match with 19 assists.

The Screaming Eagles will be at home againon Sunday afternoon, hosting Valley Forge ina 1 p.m. match at St. Joseph’s Hall. It will be the final home game of September for CSE as the team will play its next six matches on the road. The Screaming Eagles return to St. Joseph’s Hall next on Oct. 1 for a 7 p.m.match with Bryn Athyn.   

NEAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AND OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Katie Cooper was selected as the NEAC Defensive Player of the week on 9/2 and was a Highlight Player of the week on 9/9 along with teammate Subhana Wrights for their efforts in the first 2 weeks of the season that saw the Eagles open with a 5W-2L record.

This was only the 2nd time that a CSE player was selected as a NEAC Player of the Week.

On 9/5, the Eagles put up 26 Aces versus the Bloodhounds of John Jay College which is now the best serving performance by any Eagle team in the history of the program. Amy Cooper had 12 Aces herself -8 in a row in set 2- which is also the best mark by any player in the history of CSE Volleyball.

WOUNDED EAGLES COME UP SHORT DESPITE GUTSY EFFORT

CSE walked into the Panzer Athletic Center on the campus of Montclair State University to face off against the Red Hawks in a non-conference match but the Eagles were without the service prowess of Captain Amy Cooper who is nursing a shoulder issue.  Cheyenne Grant took over the rein of the offense in 4 rotations and the Eagles fought hard against a hard-hitting MSU squad but succumbed in the end by a 24-26, 13-25, 18-25 score as the Eagles drop to 5W-3L.

The Eagles had an opportunity to surprise the Red Hawks early in set 1 as CSE took the lead at 7-6 after a MSU hitting error but MSU settled in and took a lead midway through the set at 16-13 after a kill out of the middle. Montclair continued pressuring the Eagle defense and at 23-19, it looked like the Eagles were through.  CSE went on a 5-1 run however, which featured an ace and kill by Kiana Cunningham and a kill by Cheyenne Grant, to knot the score at 24.  The Eagles run fell short however as MSU got a key free ball error from the Eagles which was followed by a kill out of the middle to close out the set 24-26.

The second set saw the Eagles struggle to find their rhythm early and hitting miscues along with a very efficient Red Hawk attack put the set out of reach for the Eagles 13-25.

The third set opened poorly for the Eagles as MSU jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead but the Eagles kept on chipping away at the lead and tied it up at 6 behind a Nicole Morera kill.  At 8-8, MSU went on a 4-0 run that opened a lead they would hang on to for the remainder of the set.  The Eagles tried to respond but never got within 3 points again as MSU and CSE traded points for most of the remainder of the third set and the Red Hawks closed it out 18-25.

The Eagles were led by Subhana Wrights who posted 8 kills and hit .235 while adding 2 blocks.  Kiana Cunningham chipped in with 6 kills and hit .120 while also putting up 2 blocks.  Katie Cooper had a team high 13 digs in the loss.  

CSE hosts William Paterson and Rosemont College this Saturday (11am and 3pm) and Valley Forge College on Sunday (1pm) to close out the week.

EAGLES FIGHT OFF THE LIONS OF BRYN ATHYN FOR 5TH WIN.

The Screaming Eagles played the host Bryn Athyn Lions in the 2^nd match of the day and the Eagles were hoping to continue their dominance of the Lions as the Eagles had won the previous 4 meetings.   The match was a close battle but the Eagles were able to overcome early deficits and be error free in the late stages of 3 sets to take the match in a tight fought 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 25-21 victory.

The first set was decided late as Nicole Morera pounded out a kill with the score tied at 22 to give the Eagles a lead they would not relinquish.  2 aces by Amy Cooper sealed the set victory.

The second set brought much of the same.  Trailing 22-20, the Lions went on a 5-0 run fueled by a key Eagle service error and 2 attack errors to come from behind and win 22-25.

The Eagles were taken aback and  came out firing in the 3^rd set, taking an early 7-3 lead.  The Lions chipped away at the lead and overcame the deficit late in the set, jumping out to a 19-16 lead behind quick transition kills.

Two kills by Kiana Cunningham followed by a Kareemah Muhammad ace and a blocking Lion error gave CSE a 20-19 lead which ballooned to 22-20 after another Cunningham kill.  The Lions hit for 2 kills to tie up the score but a Nicole Morera kill followed by a couple of forced errors by the Lions sealed the set for the Eagles.

The fourth set got off to an auspicious start for CSE as numerous errors aided the Lions in jumping out to an 8-4 lead.  CSE settled down but the Eagles could not get a run going as the Lions stayed ahead 13-7 midway through the set.  A 5-0 run by CSE fueled by 2 aces by Amy Cooper pulled the Eagles within 2 after a Lion kill at 12-14.

Another ace by Nicole Morera sparked a quick run by the Eagles that saw the Lions get forced into numerous hitting errors and punctuated by a Subhana Wrights and Kareemah Muhammad block that gave CSE an 18-15 lead.

With the teams tied at 21,  the Eagles offense pounded out hit after hit that caused the Lion defense to scramble and prevented Bryn Athyn to run any quality offense.  The Lion hitting errors sealed the victory for the Eagles at 25-21.

Kiana Cunningham led the team with 11 kills and Captain Subhana Wrights added 9 kills but was a force at the net with 5 blocks.  Amy Cooper led the team with 5 aces and distributed 31 assists.  Katie Cooper led the team with 18 digs and she combined with Nicole Morera for 53/55 safe serve receptions as both players had a pass rating over 2.

Next up for the Eagles is Montclair State University on Tuesday, September 10^th, 7pm.

EAGLES LOSE HARD FOUGHT 3 SETTER TO BRYN MAWR

The Eagles traveled Saturday to Bryn Athyn College to face the Owls of Bryn Mawr College in a neutral site match that the Eagles had not fared well in for the last 3 seasons.  CSE battled to the end but key plays by the Owls late in each set were the difference in the match that saw the Eagles lose 24-26, 22-25, 23-25.

CSE and Bryn Mawr were locked in a tight duel through most of the first set. Katie Cooper hit a backrow kill to give the Eagles a 6-5 lead early but a kill out of the middle brought the Owls back to a tie.  A kill by Nicole Morera and an ace by Kiana Cunningham opened up an 11-9 lead for the Eagles.

Although the Owls broke serve, the Eagles again responded with a kill by Morera and an ace by Amy Cooper to take the largest lead of the set at 13-9. 

The Owls responded well after a timeout and went on a 9-5 run punctuated by another kill out of the middle that brought them to within 1 at 19-18.  After a switch of serve, a Katie Cooper ace and a Subhana Wrights kill pushed the lead to 22-19.

Bryn Mawr fought back to take the lead at 23-24 off of a number of CSE hitting errors but CSE forced the Owls into a an attack error to tie the score once again.  However, 2 successful attacks by the Owls sealed the set for the Eagles at 24-26.

The second set saw the Eagles go down early 9-2 and continue trailing midway through the set by a   7-13 score.  The Eagles settled into their game and pulled within 2 at 17-19 behind another Wrights’ kill.  The Owls fought back with a 2 quick kills to extend the lead to 17-21 but CSE pulled within 2 again at 20-22 with Wrights pounding out another kill.  CSE ran out of time though as a 3-2 run by the Owls closed the book on set 2 22-25.

The final set saw the teams engage in a tight struggle as the 13-12 CSE lead indicated.  The Eagles fighting to stay alive in the match went on a quick 5-1 run to seemingly take control of the set 18-13 on a blocking error on a Subhana Wrights’ attack.  After a timeout, however, the Owls went on a 6-1 run of their own to take control at 20-19.  A kill by Ireyah Stevens tied up the score at 20 but the Owls hit another couple of kills following an Eagle service error that pushed the Eagles against the wall at 21-24. A kill by Nicole Morera and a free ball error caused by a tough serve by Katie Cooper forced another time-out as CSE were within 1 at 23-24.  But that was as close as the Eagles would get as the Owls got the final kill out of the time out to win the set and match 23-25.

Subhana Wrights led the Eagle offense with 11 kills and an impressive .381 hitting%.  Nicole Morera hit for 9 kills as well while teammate and Captain Kareemah Muhammad led the team with 3 aces and chippied in 4 kills.  Katie Cooper held the team defensively with a team high 18 digs.

EAGLES SWEEP BLOODHOUNDS 3-0 (25-17, 25-7, 25-20) FOR 4TH VICTORY

The Screaming Eagles took the road for the first time this season against the Bloodhounds of John Jay College and came away with their first road victory of the season and their 4th win overall.  The Eagles were dominant from the service line as they pounded 23 aces (2nd best all-time) to only 6 errors led by
12 aces by setter Amy Cooper who shattered the all-time record of total aces in a single match.

Although the first set started off well for the Bloodhounds (2-5 lead ), CSE took over nearing the midway point of the set behind an ace by Nicole Morera to give the Eagles a 10-6 lead they would never relinquish.  CSE's serving yielded numerous free ball opportunities which the Eagles put away to extend the lead to 14-7 before John Jay could respond. The Eagles cruised to a 25-17 set 1 win.

The second set saw Amy Cooper hit 8 aces in a row and 13 service points before the Bloodhounds were able to score giving the Eagles a cushion they wouldn't relinquish as they closed out the set 25-7.

The Eagles trailed 3-7 early in the 3rd set but Katie Cooper stepped up and hit for a couple of aces and Subhana Wrights nailed a couple of kills to tie the score at 7.  A kill by Ireyah Stevens and Nikki Morera gave the Eagles a 15-14 lead and the team never looked back as they expanded the lead to 20-16.  Although the Bloodhounds cut the lead down to 1 at 20-19, a key service error provided some breathing room for CSE who went on a 4-0 run to close out the match.

The Eagles hit for a .214 with 20 kills and added 4 blocks and 28 digs to the cause.

The Eagles go on the road again on Saturday, September 7th, at Bryn Athyn College as they take on Bryn Mawr and Bryn Athyn in a 1pm and 3pm matches as the team looks to pick up 2 more wins in this young 2013 season.