WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven women's volleyball team took the court at Charger Gymnasium for the first time in 2014 on Saturday afternoon. The Chargers opened their Northeast-10 Conference slate with a 3-1 triumph over Franklin Pierce then capped the afternoon with a sweep of non-conference foe Queens.
 
After earning wins in its first two East Region contests of the fall, New Haven improves to 2-4 on the season.
 
The Chargers' balanced attack saw seven players average better than one kill per set. Margo Meteyer (Madison, Wis./Madison West) and Kristy Atufunwa (Denver, Colo./Denver East) led the way with 17 kills apiece on the afternoon. Meteyer registered a double-double in the sweep of Queens with 10 kills and 13 digs.
 
With a total of 33 digs in today's pair of matches, libero Kea-Marie Olaso (Kailua, Hawai'i/Le Jardin Academy) moved into the program's all-time top 10 with 1,228 career digs.
 
New Haven 3, Franklin Pierce 1 (25-20, 25-21, 24-26, 25-18)
In the day's opening match, Atufunwa recorded a team-leading nine kills for the Chargers, while Meteyer and Meghan Anderson each notched seven finishers. Alex Bussey (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) had six kills with a .385 hitting percentage (6-1-13), and Hayley Wilson (Denver, Colo./Overland) and Meghan Kennelly (Detroit, Mich./Eisenhower) each contributed five kills.
 
Kaulana Ane (Paia, Hawai'i/Kamehameha) ran the Charger offense at a .178 clip and neared a double-double with 25 assists and nine digs. Kea-Marie Olaso (Kailua, Hawai'i/Le Jardin Academy) posted 15 digs#, and Anderson had 12 from the back row. At the net, Bussey was part of four of New Haven's six total blocks, and Wilson had a hand in three send-backs.
 
Ashley Gomez (El Paso, Texas/Ysleta) and Annika Hacker (Bayreuth, Germany/Littleton (Colo.)) each landed two service aces, with one winner apiece coming from Wilson, Lee, Ane and Anderson.
 
Franklin Pierce was led by 15 kills from Catie Swiderski. Hannah Runge doled out 32 assists from the setter position, and Sarah MacHugh had a match-leading 16 digs.
 
New Haven 3, Queens 0 (25-21, 25-9, 26-24)
After the neutral site match that saw Queens edge Franklin Pierce in five sets, the Chargers return to action against the Knights and handed the first loss to the visitors.  Meteyer's double-double consisting of 10 kills and 14 digs fueled an overpowering effort as the Blue and Gold hit a collective .316 in the sweep.
 
Lee added eight kills on 21 errorless swings to hit .381, and Atufunwa also pounded eight finishers. Ane made the most of the gaps in the Queens defense, recording five kills from the setter spot in addition to 21 assists and seven digs. Kennelly notched four kills, Busy had three and Wilson rounded out the effort with one kill.
 
Defensively, Olaso led all players with 18 digs, and Lee contributed 10 from the back row. Wilson, Ane, Bussey and Atufunwa each got a piece of one block assist at the net.
 
Olaso landed three service aces in the three-set outing, with Meteyer and Kennelly dropping in two apiece.
 
Arielle DiCocco had a team-leading nine kills for Queens. Taylor Garrett distributed 26 assists, and Kristen Moore had 10 digs to lead the Knights' back row.
 
 
The Chargers return to action next weekend at the AIC Yellow Jacket Invitational. The Blue and Gold will meet Nyack and Wilmington on Friday, Sept. 19 and wrap up the tournament the following day with non-conference outings against Saint Rose and host American International.