BOX SCORE
POST GAME VIDEO INTERVIEW

WEST HAVEN, Conn. - The University of New Haven women's volleyball team defeated the University of Bridgeport in 3-2 (25-19, 14-25, 25-13, 22-25, 15-13) in a high-profile NCAA Division II East Region match. New Haven trailed 8-2 in the final set, but rallied behind junior Keidy Candelaria (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Bayamon Military Academy) who scored three points for UNH down the stretch. The Chargers improved to 2-4 with the win, while the Purple Knights fall to 3-1 on the season.

New Haven led for most of the opening set. The Chargers opened a 2-0 lead and never trailed the rest of the set. Sophomore Amber Cannady (Yonkers, N.Y./Charles E. Gorton) gave UNH a six-point lead with a kill to bring the score to 20-14, while freshman Margo Meteyer (Madison, Wis./Madison West) scored the final two points of the set to give the Chargers a 25-19 victory.

The second set was controlled by the Purple Knights. They opened a 10-5 lead and carried it through the entire set. UB led by as many as 11 points and eventually sealed the set by a score of 25-14.

The Charger came out on fire in the third set as Kaulana Ane (Paia, Hawai'i/Kamehameha) served seven consecutive points to open the set. The Purple Knights closed the lead to three points, 10-7, but New Haven responded and cruised to the 12-point 25-13 win. Meteyer once again finished the set with a kill from Chelsey Alpough (Torrance, Calif./South / Western New Mexico Univ. ).

The fourth set was played very close as neither team led by more than four points throughout the entire set. The Chargers led 10-8, before UB rattled off four straight to take a 12-10 lead. Bridgeport would also lead 16-12 later in the set. The teams then found themselves tied at 20-20 before either team could gain the upper hand. The Chargers scored two straight before the Purple Knights took the final five points to tie the match at two sets each.

In the fifth and deciding set, the Chargers struggled early. Bridgeport scored eight of the first 10 points to take an 8-2 lead at the court change. New Haven, sparked by the inspired play of Candelaria, battled back into the set one point at a time. Bridgeport led 10-5 before New Haven went on a 5-0 run to even the score at 10-10. The teams exchanged points to 13-13 and the Chargers had the serve, needing two points. New Haven then earned the victory with a pair of Bridgeport errors for the final two points.

The Chargers hit .212 as a team, while Alpough led the team with a .545 hitting percentage. Candelaria finished the night with 18 kills and two errors on 53 attempts (.302 hitting percentage). Elizabeth Akinibiyi and Meteyer each added double digit kills with 12 and 10, respectively. Alpough dished out 45 assists, while three Chargers registered double digit digs, Candelaria, Heather Ladao (West Covina, Calif./Rowland ) and Ane.

New Haven returns to action this weekend when they host a tri-match at Charger Gymnasium on Saturday. The Chargers will take on Le Moyne College in the 12:00 p.m. match, while C.W. Post and Le Moyne will follow at 2:30 p.m. New Haven will also take on C.W. Post in the final match of the day at 5:00 p.m.