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DURHAM, N.H. — New Haven competed in the Holly Young Invitational hosted by the University of New Hampshire to open the 2026 season. Head Coach Melanie Greene earned her first win at New Haven with a 3-1 victory over Saint Peter's on the second day of the tournament.
 
Game One
New Haven women's volleyball fell to the University of New Hampshire in a five-set match at Lundholm Gymnasium on Friday night. The final score was 3-2, with set scores of 25-15, 25-18, 21-25, 23-25, and 15-8. New Haven recorded 53 kills and a .134 hitting percentage, while New Hampshire had 62 kills with a .255 hitting percentage.

Lauren MacKellar (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Northville) and Quinn Yenshaw (Williamsburg, Mich./St. Francis) managed to score several points in the first set, but New Hampshire's strong start led to a 25-15 win. In the second set, New Haven's errors hindered their momentum, and they lost 25-18.

In the third set, New Haven maintained consistent pressure, starting with a 2-0 lead from a kill by MacKellar and a block involving Hannah Adderly (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Nova). Despite New Hampshire's attempts to catch up, Marley Alefaio's (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) effective play helped New Haven win the set 25-21.

The fourth set saw a back-and-forth battle, with the Chargers narrowly edging out New Hampshire 25-23. MacKellar's consistent performance with multiple kills, including three consecutive ones from Caroline Johnston's (Nolensville, Tenn./Nolensville) assists, was crucial for New Haven.

In the fifth set, New Haven struggled with errors, and New Hampshire secured a 15-8 victory.


Game Two
The Chargers were defeated by Providence College in straight sets, with scores of 14-25, 24-26, and 20-25, at Lundholm Gymnasium on Saturday. Despite a close second set, the Chargers recorded their highest hitting percentage of .292 in the third set.

The opening set saw New Haven establish an early lead through Lauren MacKellar's (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Northville) kills, but Providence quickly took control, capitalizing on New Haven's errors. Ava Dyer's service ace pushed Providence's lead to 15-11, and a service ace by Gwenyth Koss sealed the set at 25-14.

In the second set, New Haven initially led with Caroline Johnston's (Nolensville, Tenn./Nolensville) aces, but Providence evened the score at 16-16. Despite MacKellar's offensive pressure, Providence won the set 26-24, with a decisive point from Macy Taylor's service.

Providence secured a 25-20 victory in the third set. New Haven's Hannah Adderly (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Nova) and MacKellar contributed key points, but Providence's Sophia Adkins and Macy Taylor executed decisive plays to seal the win.

MacKellar led New Haven with 18 kills, finishing with a .371 hitting percentage. Johnston added 22 assists and six digs, while Alejandra Mejia (Miramar, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy) and Camryn Harris (Loveland, Ohio/Milford) contributed defensively.

Game 3
The Blue & Gold defeated Saint Peter's in a 3-1 victory at a neutral-site match at Lundholm Gymnasium on Saturday. This win marked the first victory for head coach Melanie Greene at New Haven. The Chargers secured the win with set scores of 23-25, 28-26, 33-31, and 25-18.

The match began with Saint Peter's gaining an early advantage, capitalizing on New Haven's errors to jump to a 3-0 lead. The Chargers fought back, with Hannah Adderly (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Nova) contributing key kills to narrow the gap to 8-7. Saint Peter's responded with a strong sequence, including a service ace from Meleksu Ozmen, extending its lead to 18-14. New Haven rallied with Josie Foster (Brisbane, Australia/Kelvin Grove State College) and Lauren MacKellar (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Northville) executing crucial plays to tie the score at 21-21. Despite this comeback effort, Saint Peter's clinched the set 25-23, with pivotal points from Karolina T. Rodriguez Mendez and a service ace from Ozmen.

New Haven secured a closely contested second set with a 28-26 victory. MacKellar notched multiple kills, including one to bring the score to 27-26. Caroline Johnston (Nolensville, Tenn./Nolensville) played a pivotal role, contributing several assists, including a decisive setup for Quinn Yenshaw's (Williamsburg, Mich./St. Francis) kill at a critical juncture. Saint Peter's kept the set tense with kills from Victoria Pruvost and service aces, but errors in the final sequences allowed the Blue & Gold to clinch the set. The final point came from a miscue by Markela Tsagkopoulou.

In a tense third set, New Haven managed to edge past Saint Peter's, securing a 33-31 victory. Saint Peter's initially surged ahead with a 7-1 lead, featuring multiple kills by Tsagkopoulou. New Haven responded with strategic plays, including key blocks and kills by Foster and MacKellar, leveling the score at 19-19. The teams traded points closely, with New Haven's Marley Alefaio (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) delivering decisive kills, ultimately leading to the winning point from Alefaio's service ace.

New Haven secured a 25-18 win in the fourth set against Saint Peter's, fueled by a strong service performance. After a tight start, highlighted by an early 8-4 advantage for Saint Peter's, New Haven's Foster and Alefaio delivered crucial kills to close the gap. Johnston then took control at the service line, recording three service aces in a 6-0 run that pushed New Haven's lead to 23-17. MacKellar's kill from Johnston brought New Haven to set point, and Alefaio sealed the victory with a final kill, ending the set and match.

Johnston recorded 42 assists, directing the New Haven offense effectively. MacKellar contributed 14 kills and added 15 points to lead the team in scoring. Foster matched her efforts with 13 kills and six blocks, finishing with 16 points. Adderly bolstered the defense with six block assists, tying for the team-high in that category.

Up next, New Haven will host Holy Cross on Tuesday, Sept. 1. The game is set for 6 p.m. at The Hazell Center in West Haven, Connecticut.