WEST HAVEN, Conn. — The New Haven women's volleyball team made a statement in its Northeast Conference opening weekend, sweeping a two-match series from Central Connecticut State at The Hazell Center in West Haven, Conn. On Friday, the Chargers took the opener 3-1 (25-10, 25-16, 16-25, 25-19), outhitting the Blue Devils .207 to .094 with 11 service aces and 11 blocks. They followed it on Saturday with another 3-1 victory (25-18, 25-15, 22-25, 25-20), hitting a stronger .277 while holding Central Connecticut to a .164 mark. In both matches, the Chargers dropped only the third set before regrouping to close out the win.
Game One
The Chargers started strong with
Zaira Kearns (Fairway, Kan./Pembroke Hill) serving New Haven to the first six points of the opening set, recording three aces.
Lauren MacKellar (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Northville) capped off the stretch with a kill, establishing a 6-0 lead. Although Central Connecticut trimmed the margin to 6-3, New Haven surged forward to 14-5 with contributions from MacKellar,
Josie Foster (Brisbane, Australia/Kelvin Grove State College), and
Quinn Yenshaw (Williamsburg, Mich./St. Francis), alongside a block by Kearns and Foster. The Chargers extended the lead from 14-6 to 21-7, with
Marley Alefaio (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) and Foster adding kills before Foster served an ace. MacKellar sealed the set with kills at 23-9 and the final point, securing the opener 25-10.
In the second set, New Haven initially trailed 5-4 but quickly responded. Foster tied the score with a kill and added two more during a six-point run, pushing the Chargers ahead 10-5 behind
Alejandra Mejia's (Miramar, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) serve. Despite Central Connecticut's efforts to close the gap to 11-9,
Kira Lynch (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown Area) and MacKellar's kills helped New Haven rebuild the lead to 16-10, aided by
Camryn Harris' (Loveland, Ohio/Milford) ace. Central Connecticut narrowed it to 16-12, but Yenshaw's kill initiated another Chargers push, including consecutive MacKellar kills, moving the set to 21-12. Central Connecticut cut it to 21-15 with consecutive service aces, but Foster and Yenshaw ensured New Haven closed out the set 25-16.
In the third set, MacKellar's early kill made it 2-1, but Central Connecticut surged ahead 7-2. Despite New Haven's attempts to rally, Central Connecticut maintained control, extending their lead to 13-4. The Chargers fought back, with a Kearns kill and Foster ace narrowing the gap to 13-6. New Haven later scored three straight points, including an Alefaio kill and a Yenshaw block, to get within 17-11. However, Central Connecticut pushed the margin back to 21-12. Yenshaw's consecutive kills and Alefaio's follow-up brought New Haven to 22-16, but Central Connecticut closed the set 25-16.
In the final set, the Chargers built an early 7-2 lead, with Foster serving consecutive aces and Alefaio adding a block. After Central Connecticut pulled within 9-6, New Haven won seven of the next eight rallies, with MacKellar and Foster contributing significantly to a 16-7 lead. Central Connecticut responded with four straight points and later closed to 23-19, but Yenshaw's kill brought New Haven to set point. Foster and MacKellar then combined on the block that finished the set, 25-19.
Foster was instrumental with 20 points, recording 12 kills, four service aces, and six total blocks while hitting .524. MacKellar led with 14 kills, adding eight digs and two blocks. Kearns contributed significantly with 38 assists, three aces, and two block assists.
Payton Malinoski (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) collected a team-high 17 digs and added three assists.
Game Two
The opening set moved back and forth through 7-7, with
Josie Foster (Brisbane, Australia/Kelvin Grove State College) putting down consecutive kills from
Zaira Kearns (Fairway, Kan./Pembroke Hill) to pull the Chargers even before Central Connecticut State scored the next two points for a 9-7 lead. After a Central Connecticut State service error, the Blue & Gold won seven of the next eight rallies, getting a
Marley Alefaio (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) kill, a Foster ace, a
Kira Lynch (Dallastown, Pa./Dallastown Area) kill, a block by
Lauren MacKellar (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Northville) and Lynch, and two MacKellar kills to move ahead 15-10. The Chargers stayed in front from there, with MacKellar's service ace making it 21-13 before Alefaio and Lynch added late kills to close a 25-18 set win.
With the set tied 1-1, the Chargers scored four straight behind a
Camryn Harris (Loveland, Ohio/Milford) ace, a Lynch-
Quinn Yenshaw (Williamsburg, Mich./St. Francis) block and a MacKellar kill to move ahead 5-1. The lead grew to 10-4 on a Kearns-Foster block, and the Blue & Gold pushed it to 13-5 during Foster's serve with help from a Lynch-Alefaio block. The Chargers kept the margin at eight or more through the middle of the set, reaching 22-11 after a Foster ace and a Central Connecticut State attack error. Central Connecticut State scored three straight after the Blue & Gold reached 24-12, but Alefaio finished a Kearns set to close the set 25-15.
Central Connecticut State broke a 4-4 tie with six straight points, including three service aces by Gabriella Burdier, to put the Chargers behind 10-4 in the third set. The Blue & Gold steadied the set with kills from Alefaio, MacKellar and Foster, and Foster's block on Olivia Keckler helped cut the gap to 17-14. Central Connecticut State pushed back ahead 22-16, but a service error gave the Chargers the ball before Kearns served four straight points, with Alefaio adding a kill during the run to make it 22-21. After Valeria Torres stopped the run, MacKellar's kill brought the Blue & Gold within 23-22, but Central Connecticut State took the final two points to win the set 25-22.
After Central Connecticut State scored the first two points, the Chargers tied the fourth set at 2-2 and later moved in front 7-4 on MacKellar's ace and Foster's kill. Central Connecticut State stayed close through the middle of the set, cutting the Blue & Gold's leads to 11-10 and 15-14 before pulling even at 18-18. An attack error put the Chargers back ahead 19-18, and Kearns served the next four points, including an ace and two MacKellar kills, to push the lead to 23-18. Central Connecticut State got back to 23-20, but Alefaio's kill made it 24-20 and an attack error closed the Chargers' 25-20 set win.
MacKellar led the Chargers with 16.0 points, finishing with 13 kills, two aces, eight digs and two blocks. Kearns recorded 34 assists, 10 digs, two blocks and one ace. Lynch posted seven total blocks and added five kills while hitting .714. Foster finished with eight kills on a .412 hitting percentage, two aces and four total blocks.
The Chargers are 6-10 overall and 2-0 in Northeast Conference play. Central Connecticut State is 2-13 overall and 0-2 in Northeast Conference play.
The weekend sweep lifts New Haven to 6-10 overall and 2-0 in Northeast Conference play, while Central Connecticut State slips to 2-13 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
Josie Foster (Brisbane, Australia/Kelvin Grove State College) and
Lauren MacKellar (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Northville) powered the offense across both nights, and
Zaira Kearns (Fairway, Kan./Pembroke Hill) ran the attack with 38 assists on Friday and 34 on Saturday. With momentum on their side, the Chargers hit the road next, traveling to Le Moyne College on Friday, Oct. 9, at 6 p.m. at Ted Grant Court in Syracuse, N.Y.
