BOX SCORE EASTON, Mass. – The University of New Haven women’s volleyball team dropped set one on Saturday afternoon at Stonehill before rattling off three-straight wins to knock off the host Skyhawks, 3-1. A trio of Chargers recorded double-doubles en route to a win by set scores of 23-25, 26-24, 25-19 and 25-23.
 
With the win in their first match in eight days, the Chargers improve to 21-1 and extend their winning streak to 18 matches. New Haven also remains perfect at 12-0 in Northeast-10 action. Stonehill falls to 12-14 with a 6-8 conference tally.
 
At the net, Amber Cannady (Yonkers, N.Y./Charles E. Gorton) was a force both offensively and defensively with 14 kills (14-4-29, .345) and 11 blocks, while Keidy Candelaria (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Bayamon Military Academy) led all players with 16 kills and added 12 digs. Kaulana Ane (Paia, Hawai'i/Kamehameha) also registered a double-double with a match-best 46 assists and 13 digs in addition to four kills. Kristy Atufunwa (Denver, Colo./Denver East) contributed 10 kills, Kristen Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) posted eight finishers and Ashley Dalton (Helena, Mont./Capital / Northern Arizona University) had one. As a unit, New Haven hit .215 (53-18-163) in the four-set contest.
 
In the back row, Kea-Marie Olaso (Kailua, Hawai'i/Le Jardin Academy) recorded a match-high 26 digs, and Lee contributed 19. Joining Cannady in the blocking effort were Ane and Lee, who each had a hand in five of the Chargers’ 14 rejections.
 
Kirsten Arvidson and Delia Phillips led the Stonehill offense with 11 kills apiece as the Skyhawks hit a collective .159 (60-30-189) in the match. Mary-Kate Catton, Meaghan Lee and Sydney Maxey each added 10 kills.
 
The Chargers led by as many as six points in the opening set, but Stonehill erased the early 11-5 deficit with a 16-6 stretch in which New Haven only once recorded back-to-back points. Now trailing 21-17, the Chargers would rally knot the score at 23-23, but a kill from Catton and New Haven attack error gave the first set to the hosts, 25-23.
 
New Haven responded with the first four points of set two and extended the margin to five at 15-10. However, the Skyhawks again had an answer with a 7-1 rally to gain their first advantage of the set at 17-16. The clubs then traded points up to a set-point chance for Stonehill at 24-23. A Candelaria kill pulled the frame back to even at 24-24, and consecutive attack errors by the Skyhawks secured a 26-24 New Haven victory to tie the match at 1-1.
 
The pivotal third set began with the squads trading points to a 6-6 stalemate. At that point, the Chargers rattled off a 7-1 stretch to open up a 13-7 advantage. The margin would hold this time, as the Blue and Gold went on to lead by as many as eight points in an eventual 25-19 triumph.
 
The Chargers needed a comeback to put the match away in the fourth set. Trailing 16-13, New Haven won the next four rallies to claim a slim 17-16 lead. The match would pull even again at 21-21 before another New Haven spurt brought the contest to match point at 24-22. The Skyhawks fought off one match-point opportunity, but a block from Atufunwa and Dalton sealed the 25-23 win and a 3-1 triumph.
 
In total, the match consisted for 29 ties and 11 lead changes.
 
The Chargers return home this Monday, Nov. 5 for a 7 p.m. visit from American International. The match, which was originally scheduled for last Tuesday but postponed due to Hurricane Sandy, will be broadcast live in high definition and available on most mobile devices on NewHavenChargers.com.