SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The University of New Haven women’s volleyball team started its Northeast-10 Conference schedule with an victory, knocking off host Le Moyne on Saturday by a score of 3-0. Keidy Candelaria (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Bayamon Military Academy) posted a double-double as the Chargers won by set scores of 25-8, 25-23 and 27-25.
With the win, the Chargers move to 6-1 on the season. Since joining the NE-10 in 2008, New Haven is now 60-0 against conference opponents in the regular season. The Dolphins, who had won nine-straight matches, drop to 9-3. The contest was designated by the Northeast-10 as its Game of the Week.
Candelaria’s double-double consisted of a match-high 14 kills and a team-best 10 digs. The 2011 All-America honoree hit .367 (14-3-30) as the Chargers swung at a .243 (45-18-111) rate as a unit. Kristen Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) added 12 kills and seven kills. Middle hitters Amber Cannady (Yonkers, N.Y./Charles E. Gorton) and Kristy Atufunwa (Denver, Colo./Denver East) posted eight and six finishers, respectively, and each notched a solo block and a block assist. Ashley Dalton (Helena, Mont./Capital / Northern Arizona) had two kills on three swings and had a hand in three of the Chargers’ five kills.
Kaulana Ane (Paia, Hawaii/Kamehameha) ran the New Haven offense and distributed 34 assists. She also tallied three kills of her own and five digs. Kea-Marie Olaso (Kailua, Hawai’i/Le Jardin Academy) had seven digs, and Bai Zhang (China/Shan Dong Zi Bo No. 10 / China Shan Dong Normal University) chipped in with five from the back row.
Candelaria also landed four of the Chargers’ eight aces, with winners also coming from Lee, Ane, Olaso and Margo Meteyer.
A 5-0 run featuring two Atufunwa kills put New Haven on top, 6-2, to start the first set. The Chargers would put the frame away in short order as all four of Candelaria’s aces came during a 13-0 stretch that spot New Haven a comfortable 21-5 lead. The Chargers went on to win the set, 25-8.
New Haven would build a fast five-point lead in set two, and the cushion held up to a four-point margin at 22-18. The Dolphins reeled off the next four points to knot the match at 22-22 and force a Chargers’ timeout. The clubs traded points to run the score to 23-23, at which point back-to-back finishers by Cannady and Candelaria gave New Haven a 2-0 advantage with a 25-23 victory.
In set three, the Chargers found themselves playing from behind for the first time. Le Moyne led by as many as seven points at 14-7 and eventually earned its first set-point opportunity of the day at 24-21. The Chargers fought off three-straight set points to knot the match at 24-24 and then, after falling behind once again at 25-24, a Candelaria kill terminated a fourth set-point chance. With the score now tied at 25-25, consecutive kills from Lee finished off the set and match with New Haven completing the sweep via a 27-25 win.
Bethany Fabian and Madison Snow each had eight kills to lead Le Moyne. Megan Maisonet doled out 27 assists for the Dolphins and completed a double-double with a match-best 11 digs.
Action returns to Charger Gymnasium on Tuesday, Sept. 25 with a 7 p.m. visit from Saint Anselm. The match against the Hawks will be broadcast live in high definition and available on most mobile devices on NewHavenChargers.com.
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