BALTIMORE, Md. — Freshman hitter Arlanda Faulkner pounded down a season-high 15 kills for visiting North Carolina Central University in a 3-2 non-conference loss to co-host Coppin State University in the opening match of the 2018 Charm City Classic on Friday afternoon.
 
CSU (3-12 Overall) had to rally from a 2-nil deficit to win the 20-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-22, 15-11 battle. NCCU (1-8) has lost two matches this season in which the Lady Eagles won the first two sets.

NC Central will wrap-up play in the weekend event with an 11 a.m. showdown against Delaware State University on Saturday.
 
NCCU HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Faulkner blasted her 15 kills on 42 swings with just six errors for a .214 hitting percentage. Junior Jessica Pilivi followed with 11 kills and accuracy of .189. Pilivi finished off a double-double by making 10 digs.
 
The freshmen setting tandem of Isis Mitchell and Celene Morris finished with 22 and 12 assists, respectively. Senior libero Erika Ianovale chipped in a team-high 14 digs. Senior Whitney White and freshman Morgan Goodwin matched each other with four block assists apiece. Sophomore Da'Nesha Miller had two of NCCU's four service aces.
 
COPPIN STATE HIGHLIGHTS & STATS:
 
Freshman Miajavon Coleman was the spark to CSU's comeback with 29 kills, one solo block and three block assists for 31.1 points. Her impressive play was most evident in the late stages of the match as she smashed nine kills in the fourth set and six more in the shortened fifth set.
 
Freshman setter Brianna Lang totaled a whopping 64 assists and 17 digs for the young squad. Classmate libero Chelsie Kolibar matched Lang with 17 digs.
 
SET-BY-SET:
 
1ST: NCCU led wire-to-wire, scoring the first four points and leading by as many as five points on three occasions. A block by Goodwin and Mitchell gave NCCU that cushion for a final time on set point.
 
2ND: Unlike the opener, the second stanza was a seesaw affair that featured 12 ties and six lead changes. Coppin State had a chance to level the score serving for the set at 24-22, but NC Central rattled off four consecutive points to slip past the hosts by the extended 26-24 score.
 
3RD: NCCU jumped out to a 4-1 lead in its attempt to complete the sweep. However, CSU quickly rallied and pulled ahead 12-8. The visitors rallied to within one, 12-11, with the next three points, but Coppin State then went to a 13-6 run to extend the match.
 
4TH: In another seesaw affair, CSU scored the final three points of the set to force a decisive fifth frame. Morris leveled the score for a 13th and final time at 22-all with a kill before Coppin State responded with the last three points. NCCU led as late as 20-18 on a Pilivi kill.
 
5TH: NC Central held an 8-6 lead as the two teams switched sides in the race to 15 points. CSU scored the next three points and never trailed again. NCCU was within one at 11-10 before Coppin State closed out the match on a 4-1 run that included a couple more kills by Coleman.