GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: November 16, 2021
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LOCATION: Charger Gymnasium - West Haven, Conn. |
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GAME DAY LINKS |
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS |
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THE LEAD
The New Haven women's volleyball team will begin its quest for the 2021 Northeast-10 Conference Championship Tuesday night, hosting the #7 seed Southern New Hampshire in the Quarterfinals. The Blue and Gold wrapped up the regular season with a 10-3 record in conference play earning the #2 seed in the league playoffs earning a home game in the first round against the Penmen. First serve from Charger Gymnasium is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
SCOUTING THE #2 CHARGERS (21-8, 10-3 NE10)
New Haven wrapped up the regular season tied for the second-best mark in the conference at 10-3, just one game behind American International who earned the top seed in the tournament. The Chargers enter familiar territory having made the conference playoffs every year since joining the NE10 prior to the 2008 season. In 12 appearances in the conference playoffs the Blue and Gold have compiled a 21-6 record including a 14-3 record within the friendly confines of Charger Gymnasium, where they begin their chase at a seventh NE10 title.
At 12.92 kills/set the Chargers offense finished the regular season with the best hitting percentage in the conference at 2.35 while also tallying the third most assists/set led by freshman setter Sophia Leon-Tabor (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers) who averages 10.20/set, which stands as the second-best mark in the NE10, while her 1,102 total assists are good enough for the 11th best mark in all of Division II. The Chargers three-headed monster on the attack have stood among the conference leaders all season long, led by senior outside hitter Emily Barry (Freeport, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) with 358 kills on the year. Senior right-side hitter Jessica Akiona (Kapolei, Hawaii/La Pietra- Hawaii School for Girls) and freshman outside hitter Macy Brown (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) sit just behind her with 344 hammers apiece, placing the trio third, fourth, fifth in the NE10 for total kills this year.
Defensively the Blue and Gold have corralled 17.40 digs/set and have held opponents to a .164 attacking percentage. Five different players have collected more than 250 digs with sophomore libero Rilee Jessee (Edinburgh, Ind,/Columbus East) pacing the squad with 435, followed by Barry and Brown with 366 and 352, respectively. At the tape, senior middle blocker Asiya Way (Denver, Colo./Denver East) sits fourth in the conference with 0.83 blocks/set, and leads the team with 64 total, ahead of sophomore middle blocker Emily Smith (Chesterfield, Mich./Anchor Bay) with 53 and Akiona with 48.
SCOUTING THE #7 PENMEN (12-10, 8-5 NE10)
Southern New Hampshire finished the postseason three games above .500 in conference play. This year marks the fifth appearance for the Penmen in the NE10 postseason, still in search of the programs first victory.
On the season the visitors are averaging 12.35 kills per set for a .187 hitting percentage, while averaging just under two service aces per set. Leading the pack on offense is junior outside hitter Juliana Pacini with 262 kills on the year, followed by Dai Thawnghmung with 228, with graduate setter Sara Montefameglio controlling the offense all season, dishing out 666 assists. Pacini and Montefameglio also sit second and third respectively in the NE10 this season averaging 0.46 and 0.45 service aces/set.
Defensively SNHU averages the fourth highest digs per set with 17.56/set and at the tape earn just over 1.5 blocks/set. Freshman libero Deanne Wilson has corralled a team-high 403 digs and 4.98/set, the third-best average in the conference. Leading the blocking efforts is senior middle hitter Ramona Fontaine who has collected 54 total blocks, ahead of senior middle blocker Grace Pierce with 47.
BLUE AND GOLD REGIONAL RANKED IN second RELEASE
On Nov. 10 the NCAA released its second ranking of the top-10 teams in each region leading up to the National Tournament, which begins on Dec. 2 with the top-eight seeds getting into the tournament. The Chargers held their position at fourth in the poll (18-6 in region) behind a pair of other NE10 teams in No. 1 Stonehill (20-3 in region) and American International (20-3 in region) and the ECC's Holy Family (22-3 in region). Four other NE10 opponent's makeup the top ten in the East, with Jefferson and Daemen rounding out the group representing the ECC. The winner of the conference tournaments for the NE10, ECC, and CACC all earn automatic spots in the tournament, with the final five teams getting in with an at-large bid.
BARRY EARNS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS TO OPEN NOVEMBER
Barry was the fourth player to earn accollades from the NE10 last week, being named the Player of the Week on Nov. 9 following a 1-1 week for the Blue and Gold. In the pair of matches she tallied 36 kills and 31 digs, including a .314 hitting percentage in a five-set thriller against Southern Connecticut last Thursday.
Brown Double Dips on Weekly NE10 Awards
The freshman outside has been a dual threat all season long, and she was recognized for the second time this season by the conference, this time earning both NE10 Rookie and Player of the Week honors. The award comes following a 2-0 week for the Chargers where Brown hammered 37 kills across the two matches in addition to 33 digs.
Akiona Hitting Clinic Leads to NE10 Player of the Week Accolades
Akiona became the second player in as many weeks to earn weekly accolades from the NE10, as she was named conference Player of the Week on Oct. 5. In a 3-0 week for the Blue and Gold, she drilled 44 kills for a .362 hitting percentage, committing just 10 errors in 94 attempts while also adding 32 digs and seven blocks defensively.
LEON TABOR DOUBLES UP CONFERENCE HONORS TO CLOSE SEPTEMBER
The Chargers' rookie setter earned not one, but two conference honors, as she was named NE10 Rookie and Setter of the Week on Sept. 28. Leon-Tabor led her squad to a 2-0 week, tallying 80 assists (11.43/set), 20 digs and a pair of blocks.
AKIONA, LEON-TABOR EARN ALL-TOURNAMENT NODS AT WESLEYAN
Following the conclusion of the tournament, both Akiona and Leon-Tabor earned spots on all-tournament teams. Akiona finished the weekend with 45 kills, along with 19 digs and nine total blocks, earning a first-team all-tournament nod, while Leon-Tabor's 98 assists and 26 digs nabbed her a spot as a second-
team all-tournament honoree.
BROWN NABS ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONORS IN COLLEGIATE DEBUT
With 50 kills last weekend, including 26 in her collegiate debut Brown was named Northeast-10 Conference Rookie of the Week honors in Week one of the 2021 volleyball season. The 26 kills from Brown are the most by a player at New Haven since Sept. 24, 2011, when Keidy Candelaria matched that number against Franklin Pierce
BARRY, AKIONA NAMED TO ALL-TOURNEY TEAM IN OPENING WEEKEND
Barry and Akiona were both named to the first-team all-tournament roster at the Tony Banner Memorial Tournament last weekend. Barry totaled 53 kills, 53 digs, 6 assists, and three solo blocks across the four matches, while Akiona tallied 50 kills, 12 digs, and five block assists.
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
If you haven't visited North Campus recently you haven't seen the construction taking place adjacent to Charger Gymnasium. The site is the future home of the Peterson Performance Center, a state-of-the-art facility that will house strength and condition, sports medicine, a new football locker room and meetings space with the ability to be tailored for the many different needs of all 18 varsity Charger athletic teams. The entire facility will measure 7,000 square feet and house 20 Olympic style weightlifting racks and a 60-yard turf agility and conditioning area. To learn more visit ChargerAthleticsFund.com.
NEXT ON TAP
The winner of Tuesday's contest will take on either #3 Stonehill or #6 Saint Anselm in the semifinal round Friday night. Both semifinal matches and the 2021 NE10 Championship game will be played at the home site of the highest remaining seed after the quarterfinals. Stay tuned to Northeast10.org for updates throughout the conference playoffs.
