Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
WEST HAVEN, Conn. - The Chargers’ volleyball team concluded the University of New Haven Invitational on Saturday afternoon, taking all three games from Holy Family (25-23, 25-21, 25-11) in the morning session, before dropping the nightcap in four games to Bridgeport (25-23, 16-25, 26-24, 25-21). With the split, UNH improved to 2-1 for the tournament.
Game one of the doubleheader featured two close sets followed by a Charger thrashing in the final game. After trailing game one 21-19, UNH battled back with four unanswered points, eventually leading to a two point victory. In the middle set, UNH fell behind by the score of 9-3 early on, but charged back with a 6-0 run behind the tremendous serving of
Heather Ladao (West Covina, Calif./Rowland ). The Chargers grabbed their first lead at 15-14 and never looked back. In the final game, UNH raced out to a 19-9 advantage, coasting to a comfortable triumph.
Junior
Elizabeth Akinbiyi (Miami Gardens, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna Prep.) led the Chargers with 15 kills and no errors on 18 total attempts. Senior
Sara Malmlov (Lindesberg, Sweden/Sheridan College) hammered 11 kills with two errors on 21 attempts and also chipped in with a team-high 15 digs. Sophomore
Keidy Candelaria (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Bayamon Military Academy) grabbed 11 kills with 3 errors on 27 attempts while junior
Chelsey Alpough (Torrance, Calif./South / Western New Mexico Univ. ) tallied 36 assists in the win.
Game two of the doubleheader clearly featured two of the stronger teams in the region. Games one, three and four were all decided by four points or less, while game two portrayed a one sided set in favor of the Chargers. However in the end, the Purple Knights captured key points in critical situations for the victory.
Malmlov led the way for UNH, connecting for 16 kills with seven errors on 50 attempts. Candelaria was solid once again, tallying 14 kills with five errors and 48 attempts, while Akinbiyi also reached double-digits in kills with 10. Alpough composed a steady offense with 41 assists.
The Chargers will enjoy a few days off before returning to the court for the Bentley Invitational. On Friday, September 10, UNH will take on Bridgeport at 4:30 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, September, 11 against Georgian Court and Bentley.
