BOX SCORE

OAKDALE, N.Y. - The University of New Haven women's volleyball defeated Dowling College 3-1 (19-25, 25-21, 25-19, 25-15) Thursday night in Long Island. With the win, the Chargers improve to 5-4 overall. The Golden Lions fall to 8-4 on the season.

New Haven fell in the opening set by the score of 19-25. The teams played point for point through the first 19 points, but the Golden Lions scored the final six points to take the opening set victory.

The Chargers then rallied in the second set. UNH opened an early lead and led by as many as eight points, 16-8, midway through the set. Dowling closed the UNH lead to one point at 19-20, but Kediy Candelaria sparked a UNH run and game the Chargers a 25-21 victory in the second set.

Tied at one set each, the third set played a very important role in the outcome Thursday night. The Chargers would fall down early in the set, 12-8, but New Haven crawled back into the set with poor hitting by the Golden Lions and opportune kills on the offensive side. The Chargers led 24-19 before Kualana Ane put home a kill to get the Chargers a 2-1 lead.

In the final set, New Haven controlled nearly the every point. The Chargers opened a 10-6 lead off a Dowling attack error, while Candelaria gave the Chargers 20-9 lead off an ace later in the set. Back-to-back blocks by Amber Cannady (Yonkers, N.Y./Charles E. Gorton) and Chelsey Alpough (Torrance, Calif./South / Western New Mexico Univ. ) concluded the set and the match as New Haven sealed a 25-15 victory.

Candelaria recorded 20 kills, while freshman Kristy Atufunwa (Denver, Colo./Denver East) added 12 kills. Atufunwa hit at a .333 clip, while Candelaria tallied a .288 hitting percentage. Alpough dished out 42 assists in the win, while Heather Ladao (West Covina, Calif./Rowland ) led the back row with 19 digs. Candelaria also added 17 digs in the win.

New Haven returns to action on Saturday afternoon when they travel to Franklin Pierce University. Match time in Rindge, N.H. is set for 1 p.m.