WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven women’s volleyball team defeated Southern New Hampshire University 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-21) Friday night at Charger Gymnasium. The Chargers won their 13th straight and improved to 13-4 overall, 8-0 in Northeast-10 Conference. The Penmen fell to 4-11 overall and 2-6 in conference play.
The teams exchanged points in the opening portion of the first set Friday night. Back-to-back kills by Elizabeth Akinbiyi (Miami Gardens, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna Prep.) gave the Chargers a 14-11 lead near the midway point of the set. The Chargers would late lose the lead after three consecutive attack errors which gave SNHU an 18-17 lead. The Chargers got back on track and scored three straight to regain momentum in the closing portion of the set. Akinbiyi added two kills in the final three points to give the Chargers a 25-23 victory in the opener.
In the second set, the Penmen came out swinging and quickly opened a four-point, 8-4, lead over the Chargers. The Penmen continued to lead for a majority of the set, but a late rally from the Chargers proved successful. SNHU held a three-point lead, 20-17, late in the set, but the Chargers caught fire and scored the final seven points of the second set to seal the victory. Four of the final five points were kill for the Chargers, including two from freshman Margo Meteyer (Madison, Wisc./Madison West).
New Haven and Southern New Hampshire once again play close in the third and final set. Both teams struggled to build up any kind of lead as points were exchanged one after another. The teams were tied at 10-10 and later at 19-19. The Chargers scored six of the final eight points to seal the four-point, 25-21, victory. Meteyer again led the team with three of the final six points.
The freshman total nine kills off 19 attempts with four errors, for a team-high .263 hitting percentage. Keidy Candelaria (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Bayamon Military Academy) led the team with 10 kills, while Akinbiyi added another nine kills. Kaulana Ane (Paia, Hawaii/Kamehameha) led the team with 41 assists and Heather Ladao (West Covina, Calif./Rowland ) led the team with 14 digs in the victory.
New Haven will return to the court on Tuesday, October 18 when they host Adelphi University in another NE-10 showdown. Match time at Charger Gymnasium is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday night is also Dig Pink night at Charger Gymnasium. For complete live video and live statistics, log on to www.NewHavenChargers.com Tuesday night.
