The Miles volleyball team opened its 2026 campaign with some new faces taking big roles but still leaned on one big returning star in its four-set win (25-21, 23-25, 25-17, 25-16) over Oakwood on Tuesday night.
Sophomore outside hitter
Karea Copeland had 14 kills, 11 digs, and two blocks (one solo) as the Lady Bears (1-0) took down the Ambassadors (0-3) for the sixth straight time. The SIAC Preseason Player of the Year also reached a significant milestone, recording her 500th career kill in the opening set. While her multi-faceted game was on full display, there were some strong performances from several newcomers that were noteworthy.
A trio of freshman had big impacts on the win.
Jaharia Hunter had 11 kills and hit .304 in her first collegiate action. She had three kills in the third set, including the finisher that put Miles ahead what - to that point - had been a hotly contested affair.
Alyzia Cola was setting her teammates up all night, finishing with 40 assists to go alone with three kills, six digs and two blocks.
Aida Edwards was aa big presence up front, with eight kills and three blocks.
The Lady Bears did face some adversity in the second set as they squandered a four-point lead late. Three errors down the stretch cost Miles a chance to sweep Oakwood, which got a big performance from Kamaria Murray (19 kills, 11 digs). But the response in the final two sets overcame that transgression as Miles held Oakwood to -.02 hitting over those two sets and closed out the match hitting .333 in the last set to seal the victory.
Miles is back in action on Thursday when it hosts Stillman. The contest will be played at Fairfield High Preparatory School with first serve set for 6 p.m.
Â
