WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven women's volleyball team began its 2013 campaign with a 3-0 sweep of visiting Wilmington on the first day of the 2013 Charger Invitational. Margo Meteyer (Madison, Wis./Madison West) recorded a double-double in the victory as the Chargers earned the win by set scores of 25-17, 25-12 and 27-25.
 
The win starts New Haven at 1-0 for the second-straight season. The Chargers, who were receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Coaches' Poll, also extended their winning streak to 28 consecutive triumphs over East Region competition and made it 19 in a row at Charger Gymnasium. UNH is the defending NCAA Division II East Region and Northeast-10 Conference Champion.
 
The double-double for Meteyer was the second of her career. She was the lone player to reach double-figure kills with 10 and added 13 digs. Ashley Dalton (Helena, Mont./Capital / Northern Arizona University) and Amber Cannady (Yonkers, N.Y./Charles E. Gorton) each had nine kills and did not commit an attacking error, hitting .500 and .450, respectively.
 
Kristen Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) added five kills, Kristy Atufunwa (Denver, Colo./Denver East) chipped in with two and Meghan Kennelly (Detroit, Mich./Eisenhower) landed the first kill of her career in her collegiate debut. Annika Hacker (Bayreuth, Germany/Littleton (Colo.)) also made her first appearance in the Blue and Gold, getting the start at setter. She finished with 31 assists, eight digs and a kill as New Haven posted a collective .148 (37-19-122) hitting percentage.
 
Kea-Marie Olaso (Kailua, Hawai'i/Le Jardin Academy) shared the match high with 16 digs in the libero spot, and Lee added 10 from the back row. At the net, Cannady had a hand in six of the Chargers' nine team blocks as the defense held Wilmington to a .008 (27-26-122) hitting percentage.
 
Olaso and Dalton each landed two service aces, while Meteyer, Lee and Hayley Wilson (Denver, Colo./Overland) dropped in one winner apiece.
 
An early 10-0 run, fueled by three straight blocks, staked the Chargers to an 11-2 advantage early in set one. New Haven led by as many as 13 points and coasted to a 25-17 win.

The second set was more of the same as the home team registered the first five and 10 of the first 12 points to put the Wildcats in an early hole. Wilmington won consecutive rallies on just one occasion in the frame, and the Chargers soon led the match, 2-0, after a 25-12 triumph.

The third set was the most competitive with Wilmington racing out to an 8-2 lead and later increasing the margin to seven at 18-11. New Haven responded with a 4-0 spurt as a part of a larger 12-4 stretch to gain its first lead of the stanza at 23-22. The Chargers were the first to earn a set-point chance at 24-23, but the Wildcats staved off elimination on two occasions before Meteyer's 10th kill sealed a 27-25 victory.
 
Kaitlin DiGiacinto led Wilmington with seven kills.
 
In other action at the Charger Invitational, LIU Post notched a 3-0 win over Stonehill. The Chargers and Pioneers square off tomorrow at 10 a.m. and UNH hosts the Skyhawks to wrap-up the weekend at 1 p.m.