The University of New Haven Women’s Volleyball team won the NE-10 Conference Championship against Adelphi University last week, taking three sets to one. This is the fifth time the team has won the championship, securing the title late Saturday evening.
Sophomore Kristine Rios was named NE-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player, scoring a triple double in all three matches of the tournament. She finished the championship with 10 kills, 20 assists, and 15 digs. Rios was also named a NE-10 All Tournament player, finishing with a .286 hitting average and not having any errors in her 35 attempts.
“Being named MVP is an honor and I’m glad that I could do my job during conference time,” Rios said.
Another UNH hitter, senior Meghan Kennelly, will be joining Rios on the All-Tournament Team. Kennelly finished with the team high of 15 kills and a .200 hitting average.
The whole women’s team averaged their hits at a .217 and had a combined 56 kills and 22 errors out of 157 attempts. The team also achieved a combined seven service aces, with the majority of them completed by Rios.
On defense, the Chargers were led by Kennelly’s 20 digs, as well as freshman Charleigh Crews’s 17. Junior Alex Bussey led the defensive blocks for the team, scoring four out of the total nine.
The women were excited about their feat, especially Crews, who was happy to be able to experience this her first year at U.N.H.
“As a freshman, it was an amazing feeling being part of something new and being so successful my first year,” she said.
Crews added that the teamwork that happened on the court is what led them to their championship win.
“This season we have had a lot of ups and downs but we all came together and trusted each other and played as one. We were really unstoppable on the court,” she said.
Hard work and persistence also contributed to the women’s victory, as Rios explained their original hardships.
“We worked hard all spring season and regular season to be in the position we are in today. Last year we were barely in the conference or regional tournament and this year we are showing why we should be highly ranked.
The women are headed now to the NCAA Division II Championship on December 1.
