PHOTO GALLERY

WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Behind a match-high 17 kills from senior outside hitter Caroline Martins (Tres Pontas, Brazil), the University of New Haven volleyball team scored a straight-set victory over the sixth-seeded American International Yellow Jackets to win its 14th NCAA Division II East Region Championship.

Martins was one of four Chargers representing New Haven on the East Region All-Championship team, joined by junior setter Kristine Rios (Miami, Fla./Coral Reef), sophomore outside hitter Kali Greathead (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley) and senior middle blocker Alex Bussey (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy). Additionally, regional runner-up American International placed three players on the All-Championship team with sophomore outside hitter Jana Potic, senior outside hitter Annie Boele and junior outside hitter Diva Rivas-Reyes all securing the honor.

Rounding out the All-Championship team was Molloy's sophomore right side Carly Banks and senior defensive specialist Dakota O'Neill as well as Southern Connecticut's junior middle hitter Alyssa Gage, sophomore outside hitter Gabriela Vazquez and junior outside hitter Leanna Jadus.

As a team, New Haven finished the three-set match with an impressive .388 attack percentage, compiling 44 total kills and suffering just four errors in 103 total attempts. In addition to Martins, Greathead and Sophomore Mallory Nowicki (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northview) finished with seven kills apiece. Of the pair, Nowicki closed out the match with an unblemished hitting performance in 13 attempts, all totaling a .538 attack percentage.

In addition to her 17 kills, Martins closed out the regional championship with a match-high .571 attack percentage which included a single error in 28 total attacks. Rounding out the Chargers offense was senior Lexis Peterson (Windsor, N.Y./Windsor Central) who chipped in five kills while Rios and Bussey each finished with four.

Defensively, New Haven was led by sophomore libero Lindsey Kim (Rye Brook, N.Y./Blind Brook) who was the only New Haven player in double figures with 17 digs while Martins finished just shy of a double double with nine.

With the victory, New Haven advances to the National Quarterfinals for the 14th time in program history and the first time since 2014. The Chargers will learn their next opponent on Sunday night in a national announcement of the Final Eight. Following a reseeding, that announcement will take place on the @NCAADII Twitter page.  

2017 NCAA Division II East Region All-Championship Team
Kristine Rios (Miami, Fla./Coral Reef)                             New Haven
Kali Greathead (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley)                         New Haven
Alex Bussey (Atlanta, Ga./Pace Academy)                             New Haven
Caroline Martins (Tres Pontas, Brazil)                       New Haven
Jana Potic                                American International
Annie Boele                             American International
Diva Rivas-Reyes                    American International
Alyssa Gage                            Southern Connecticut
Gabriela Vazquez                    Southern Connecticut
Leanna Jadus                          Southern Connecticut
Carly Banks                             Molloy
Dakota O'Neill                         Molloy