GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – The University of New Haven women's volleyball team would see its late season run come to an end in the Northeast-10 Championship match on Saturday evening, falling to the top seeded Adelphi University Panthers in three sets. With the loss, the Chargers fall to 18-15.

Leading the Chargers was junior outside hitter Meghan Kennelly (Detroit, Mich./Eisenhower) who finished with 11 kills on a .111 attack percentage. She also finished with 11 digs, securing her third double double, in as many games, of the NE-10 Championship Tournament.

As a team, New Haven finished the match hitting .163 with 35 kills in 104 attempts. Leading the Chargers individual hitting efforts was Alex Bussey (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) and Micki Impellizeri (Seaford, N.Y./St. Anthony's), who each finished with a .500 hitting average. Bussey, who was named to the Northeast-10 All-Championship team, finished with seven kills in 12 attempts, while Impellizeri chipped in six kills without an error in 12 attempts. Freshman setter Kristine Rios (Miami, Fla./Coral Reef) marshalled the Chargers offense with 32 assists.

Defensively, New Haven was led by freshman libero Brianna Mirmina (Bethany, Conn./Amity Regional) who finished with 13 digs. Kennelly's 11 represented the only other Charger in double figures on the defensive end. Bussey also led the Chargers blocking efforts with three of the team's four total.

FIRST SET HIGHLIGHTS

·           The Chargers started out the match with an early 3-0 lead thanks to a setting and hitting error by the Panthers and a kill from Kristen Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty), the first of the match for either squad.

·           The turning point for the Panthers came as New Haven took a 7-5 lead on a service error against Adelphi. The Panthers responded by scoring six of the next seven points, starting that rally out with back-to-back kills.

·           The Chargers looked to make a late rally when they scored back-to-back points, the first on a kill from Kennelly and the second on a block from Alex Bussey (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) and Damianis Eusebio (Miramar, Fla./University School).

·           Kennelly led New Haven in the opening set, finishing with five kills on a .154 hitting average. She also added four digs.

SECOND SET HIGHLIGHTS

·           New Haven answered an early 3-0 deficit in the second set with back-to-back points on a block from Alex Bussey (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) and Damianis Eusebio (Miramar, Fla./University School) followed by a kill from Kristen Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty).

·           Micki Impellizeri (Seaford, N.Y./St. Anthony's) would then go back-to-back on her own with a pair of kills that pulled the Chargers within two, 5-7.

·           New Haven would mount a late run, rattling off four-straight points, but it wouldn't be enough in the end. The run began with a kill from Lee. Impellizeri would follow that will a kill before Brianna Mirmina (Bethany, Conn./Amity Regional) drilled an ace. The final point came on a block from Impellizeri who partnered with Ashley LeBlanc (Methuen, Mass./Methuen) for the put back.

·           Impellizeri's four kills would lead the Chargers in the second. Through the end of the second set, she would be .500 from the floor without an error in eight attempts.

THIRD SET HIGHLIGHTS 

·           Alex Bussey (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy) would open up the third set scoring three of the first four points on a pair of kills and a block, partnered with Meghan Kennelly (Detroit, Mich./Eisenhower), which gave the Chargers and early 3-1 lead. New Haven would match that lead at 7-5 thanks to back-to-back kills from Kristine Rios (Miami, Fla./Coral Reef) and Kristen Lee (Colorado Springs, Colo./Liberty).

·           Facing a 19-18 deficit, New Haven answered with a kill from Nicole Morales (Moca, Puerto Rico/Carib Christian). The Chargers followed that by scoring the next three and five of the next six points to take a 24-20 lead. Included in that rally was back-to-back kills from Bussey, her fourth and fifth of the set. Morales would also add a second kill in the run.

·           The Panthers wouldn't go down as they rallied to score seven of the last eight points and take the set and match with a 27-25 victory.

·           Bussey and Kennelly would lead the Chargers hitters in the final set, each finishing with five put downs.