WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven women's volleyball team recorded its ninth consecutive victory on Tuesday evening with a 3-1 sweep of Northeast-10 foe American International. Meghan Kennelly (Detroit, Mich./Eisenhower) and Alex Bussey (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) both posted double-digit kills for the Chargers, who took the match by set scores of 25-10, 25-20, 22-25 and 25-21.
 
Following the home win, New Haven stands at 9-4 overall and 3-0 in the Northeast-10 Conference. American International falls to 4-12 on the season with an 0-3 NE-10 mark. The Chargers swept the Yellow Jackets on Sept. 20 in Springfield as a part of the non-conference slate.
 
New Haven spread the ball around offensively, with 10 different players recording at least one kill. Kennelly's 11 finishers led the way, and the sophomore completed a double-double with 12 digs. Bussey set a new career standard with 10 kills as well as five total blocks. Margo Meteyer (Madison, Wis./Madison West) added nine kills, and Kristy Atufunwa (Denver, Colo./Denver East) had seven finishers in just two sets of work. Hayley Wilson (Denver, Colo./Overland) and Meagan Anderson (Palm Springs, Calif./Palm Springs) had five kills apiece, Kristen Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty) and Lexis Peterson (Windsor, N.Y./Windsor Central) each notched three finishers and Damianis Eusbeio each had one.
 
Kaulana Ane (Paia, Hawai'i/Kamehameha) picked up four kills on five swings from the setter position while dishing out 45 assists and running the offense to a .288 hitting percentage. Ane also notched 13 digs to register her fifth double-double of the fall.
 
Libero Kea-Marie Olaso (Kailua, Hawai'i/Le Jardin Academy) led the back row with 21 digs. At the net, Bussey's five blocks headed the effort, while Atufunwa got a piece of four of New Haven's nine send-backs. Olaso also landed two service aces, with Ane and Annika Hacker (Bayreuth, Germany/Littleton (Colo.)) each dropping in one.
 
AIC's Bailey Swan led all players with 15 kills. Vanessa Ruiz doled out 39 assists for the Yellow Jackets, and Phoebe Lettington posted a team-best 14 digs.
 
New Haven scored the first three points of the match and never surrendered the lead in set one. A five-point spurt that included back-to-back solo blocks from Bussey broke the game open at 11-5, and another 6-0 stretch extended the margin to 17-6. An Atufunwa kill sealed the opening frame at 25-10 in favor of the Blue and Gold.
 
Another fast start in the second set staked the Chargers to a quick 10-1 advantage. Though two separate 5-0 runs by the visitors kept the frame within striking distance, New Haven once again led wire-to-wire en route to a 25-20 triumph to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
 
The Yellow Jackets would stay afloat in set three, breaking an 18-18 deadlock with a six-point run to earn set point. The Chargers fought off four consecutive set-point chances, but American International eventually closed out a 25-22 decision to extend the contest.
 
The fourth set was another back-and-forth affair, with the 10th and final tie forced at 21-21 via a Lee kill. New Haven was the squad to break the stalemate, using a Kennelly and Atufunwa block to claim the lead. The Chargers then polished off the set and the match with back-to-back kills by Kennelly and Atufunwa followed by another Kennelly finisher to round out the 25-21 set score and 3-1 final in the match.
 
The Chargers return to court this Friday, Oct. 3 at Merrimack for a rematch of the 2013 Northeast-10 Conference Championship Match. Action resumes at Charger Gymnasium on Tuesday, Oct. 7 for a non-conference visit from LIU Post.