GAME DAY INFORMATION |
DATE: August 26th & 27th, 2022
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FRIDAY: Fitzgerald Gym
Flushing, N.Y.
SATURDAY: Quealy Gym
Rockville Centre, N.Y.
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GAME DAY LINKS |
FRIDAY: LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO
SATURDAY: LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO |
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THE LEAD
Following being tabbed to finish second in the Northeast 10 conference, the New Haven women's volleyball team begins their 2022 season on the road for 11 straight matches before they open up their conference season. The team begins their long road trip in New York starting on Friday and wrapping up on Saturday. On Friday the blue and gold open up against Queen's University in the morning at 11:00 a.m. before matching up with I-95 rival Bridgeport at 1:30 p.m. in Flushing, New York at Rockville Gymnasium. Saturday the Chargers will take on Charleston in the afternoon at 2:00 p.m. followed up with playing against Molloy in the evening at 4:00 p.m. in Rockville Centre, New York at Quealy Gymnasium.
SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
The Chargers return to the court following their 2021 season where they finished 22-10 and went 10-3 in the NE10 that saw them finish second in the conference and make it to the NCAA East Regional. 12 members of the 2021 team return including sophomore setter
Sophia Leon-Tabor (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers), sophomore
Macy Brown (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) and senior
Emily Barry (Freeport, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy). Brown made an instant impact in her first year for the blue and gold finishing with 398 kills which was third behind only
Jessica Akiona (Kapolei, Hawaii/La Pietra- Hawaii School for Girls) and
Emily Barry (Freeport, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) who had 404. The offense will look to the combo of Barry and Brown to lead the attack. In the center Leon-Tabor will be setting the duo up just as she did in the 21 season. Leon-Tabor finished the year with 1298 assists averaging 10.30 a set. Experience will lead the way for the Chargers and with the addition of five freshmen, New Haven will look to return to the Conference finals along with another run into the NCAA tournament.
SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Queens enters the fall volleyball season after posting a 4-19 record and 2-10 in the ECC in its 2021 campaign. Lifetime the Chargers control the all-time matchup between the two teams leading 27-6. The Knights last win against the Chargers came in 2005 which was a three year win streak for the Knights. Queens is a young team that brought in nine new players to the team. On the attacking side Queens will look to second year players Despina Boudouris and Christina Franco. Bourdouris led the team in her freshman year out of the middle with 296 assists leading the team. Franco led the way on the attacking side with 189 kills and will look to lead the offense again in her second year.
SCOUTING THE PURPLE KNIGHTS
Bridgeport in 2021 went 18-10 and 9-3 in conference play during the year. These two teams met in 2021 with New Haven coming out on top winning 3-2. Lifetime New Haven has dominated the series going 41-8 and have won the last five matchups between the two teams. The Purple Knights last beat the blue and gold in 2016 winning 3-1. Bridgeport looks to their sophomore class to lead the way now in their second years of action accompanied by junior Haley Andrews and five new faces to the team. Leading the way is outside hitter Paola Hernandez who led the team with 359 kills a season ago. Jaden Drollinger will be the one setting it up for Hernandez after finishing her first year with 1124 assists. This duo will look to lead the team and along with the freshmen class looking to establish themselves in key roles.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Charleston is coming off their 2021 season where they went 22-11 and 12-6 in the Mountain East Conference. This is the first meeting between the Chargers and the Golden Eagles as it will be the third match for the Chargers and the fourth for the Golden Eagles. Charleston returns their leading scorer in junior Sage Bearnson who totaled 427 kills a season ago. They also return their leading setter in Maria Hernandez who in the 2021 campaign totaled 1225 assists in her sophomore season. The junior combo will lead the attack for the Golden Eagles along with Senior Mackenzie Carpenter who led the team with 71 blocks.
SCOUTING THE LIONS
Molloy enters the 2022 season after a 12-14 record and 7-4 in the conference a season ago. The matchup between the Lions and the Chargers is only the 19th matchup between the two, which New Haven has dominated, dropping only one match in 2018 to the Lions in this series history. Junior Kathleen Doherty returns for her junior season coming off a team second best 157 kills a season ago. Doherty is joined on the inside by Chye Davis who finished third with 147 kills to lead the Lions attack. The Lions will look to someone new to be the setter for the combo of Doherty and Davis. Colleen Moulder returns as the leading blocker from a year ago with 63 and will be a key piece in the lineup.
UP NEXT
Following the double header on Saturday, the Chargers return home for a week of practice before hitting the tarmac and flying to Florida to compete in the Hyatt Place Bash at the Beach in West Palm Beach Florida. The blue and gold will take to the court four times across Friday and Saturday taking on Barton, Lynn, Palm Beach Atlantic and St. Cloud State in the tournament. Live coverage of the tournament will be available at https://pbasailfish.com/feature/bash2022 and post-game coverage available at NewHavenChargers.com.
