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WEST HAVEN, Conn. – The University of New Haven volleyball team (17-3, 7-0 NE10) opened up the match with back-to-back service aces from Mallory Nowicki (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northview) and never looked back as the Chargers swept Franklin Pierce 3-0 for their 10th straight win. Leading the Blue and Gold on the day was sophomore Camille Garden (Atlanta, Ga./Landmark Christian) who compiled her first collegiate double double with 10 kills and closed out the day with the match clinching block to give her 10 total.
Garden's 10 blocks is the most by a Charger since November 15, 2013 when Amber Cannady finished with 11. Overall, the middle blocker led New Haven's hitters with a .500 average as her 10 kills came on 16 attempts with a pair of errors. She also added a pair of digs.
Joining Garden in leading New Haven's offense was freshman outside hitter Ruby Fera (Seattle, Wash./Ballard) who finished with 11 kills, a high among all players in the match. Fera finished the day with a .308 average which came on 26 attempts with three errors. Overall, six different players finished with at least three kills, with Nowicki following Garden and Fera with seven total kills.
As a team, New Haven closed out the afternoon with a .275 attacking average with a combined 42 kills in 109 attempts all captained by senior setter Kristine Rios (Miami, Fla./Coral Reef) who collected 32 assists, her fifth straight match with 30 or more helpers. Rios also added three kills and completed a double double on the day with 13 digs, one of three players in double figures. New Haven's best single set hitting came in the third and match-clinching set when they combined for 13 kills which came on a .458 average.
Adding to Rios' 13 digs was senior libero Brianna Mirmina (Bethany, Conn./Amity Regional) who finished with a team-best 15 defensive stops while Nowcki capped off the leaders with 10. Following just behind the trio was sophomore Kali Greathead (Temecula, Calif./Temecula Valley) who finished with seven digs while adding six kills on offense.
Nowicki's two early aces were part of three total as she joined Greathead in leading New Haven with a trio of unreturned serves. All total, New Haven scored nine points off of its serving, while giving up just one ace to the Ravens. In addition to Garden's 10 blocks, New Haven combined for 11 total with Rios and Fera each adding a trio of block assists, while three other players also contributed.
New Haven will return to the court on Tuesday night when they put their undefeated NE10 record on the line against the Adelphi Panthers who enter with a 4-1 record in conference play. First serve between New Haven and Adelphi is slated for 7:00 p.m.
