GARDEN CITY, New York. – Coming off their first-round win in the Northeast 10 Championship, the University of New Haven Women's Volleyball team traveled to the Garden City for a semifinal match up against the Falcons of Bentley University for the two teams' third meeting of the season. 

The Falcons took the first meeting between the two squads early in September in Waltham in a non-conference match up where the Falcons bested the blue and gold in a tough fifth set winning three, two. The Chargers got their revenge when they hosted the Falcons in late October where the blue and gold improved their ten-match win streak and remained perfect in conference play with a win of their own in five sets to claim the top spot in the conference. Now with both teams coming off first-round wins at home and a meeting with top seed Adelphi waiting in the Championship match.

After a delayed start to the opening set after watching the Panther of Adelphi and Penmen of Southern New Hampshire University, the Chargers opened up hot taking an early lead as the big hitters for the Chargers got on the board early. Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) put the Chargers on the board and Peyton Mast (Park Hills, Ky./Notre Dame Academy) and Macy Brown (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) soon responded growing the Chargers lead. Bentley did fight back into the set as they would cut into the deficit and force New Haven to grow the lead again. The Falcons took their first lead in the middle of the set and were able to get to 20 first. New Haven pressured the Falcons lead but similar to their conference meeting in West Haven, the Falcons took the first set 25-23. Down a set the blue and gold responded with a fast start to the second and never looked back. After splitting the first two points, New Haven went on a 5-0 run where Michelle Henwood (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Academia Maria Reina) and Amihan Johnson (Tacoma, Wash./Fife High School) each had kills on the run and Macy Brown (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) had a pair of aces. With the lead New Haven never trailed and grew their lead to double digits en route to a commanding 25-15 win in the second set and evening the match at 1-1. Carrying the momentum of the second set win the blue and gold from strong defensive plays the Chargers went back and forth early until a 3-0 run led by Macy Brown (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) with a kill started the Chargers surge and forced the Falcons to call an early timeout. Just as they had done all season they attacked out of the break and picked up the first point from an Amihan Johnson (Tacoma, Wash./Fife High School) kill and capped off with an Evelyn Kay Girard (Greenwich, Conn./Greenwich Academy) ace to make it a 6-0 run. Not taking the foot off the gas pedal, New Haven continued to rally defensively and find Macy Brown (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) who led the way for New Haven. New Haven was the first to twenty and closed out the third set on a 5-2 run putting New Haven up in the match 2-1 looking to close out the match in the fourth. Riding momentum and strong defense the Chargers went back to work opening on a 4-0 run as Michelle Henwood (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Academia Maria Reina) led with a pair of aces. It was all New Haven in the fourth commanding the set and weathering the late run by the Falcons in the set. Amihan Johnson (Tacoma, Wash./Fife High School) capped off her strong match with a match and set winning kill to make it 25-20 winning 3-1 and advancing the blue and gold to the championship match for the first time since 2021. The blue and gold were led by Macy Brown (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac) with 19 kills and 19 digs, Grace Juergens (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) posted a double-double with 15 kills and 14 digs. Michelle Henwood (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico/Academia Maria Reina) added 42 assists and 17 digs in the win. 

The Chargers now advance to the finals with a date against the Panthers of Adelphi University. In a match between the co-champions of the regular season, it was the Panthers that bested the Chargers in their regular season meeting New Haven now looks for revenge and claim the conference crown for the first time since 2017. The Chargers and Panthers tip off from the Garden City on November 18  at 7:00 pm on the NE10 Now and all updates, schedules, and post-game recaps for the team will be available at Newhavenchargers.com.