NEWARK, Del. — The Chargers faced Fordham and the University of Delaware at the Blue Hen Invitational.
Mirella Rederer (Stuttgart, Baden Wuerttemberg, Germany/Wirtemberg Gymnasium) was honored with all-tournament honors. She led the team with 24 digs across the two days.
Game One
New Haven women's volleyball faced a challenging match against Fordham, resulting in a 3-1 loss on Friday, with set scores of 27-25, 22-25, 26-28, 13-25. The Chargers struggled with their hitting, finishing the match with a .078 percentage, including a difficult -.263 in the fourth set.
The Chargers started strong in the first set, launching a 7-0 run that featured three impressive kills from
Lauren MacKellar (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Northville). Although Fordham managed to cut the lead to 8-7, New Haven maintained their advantage and capitalized on Fordham errors to secure a 27-25 victory.
In the second set, New Haven demonstrated resilience by tying the score at 4-4 and later taking a 19-16 lead with key kills from
Victoria Trunkl (Sao Jose Dos Campos, Sau Paulo, Brazil/Objetivo) and her teammates. However, Fordham mounted a comeback to claim a 25-22 win.
The third set saw New Haven taking an early 4-1 lead, but Fordham again fought back to level the score at 21-21. Despite late efforts with kills by MacKellar and Yenshaw, Fordham edged out a 28-26 victory.
In the fourth set, New Haven tied the score at 6-6, but Fordham surged ahead, ultimately winning 25-13, with Giada Ianuale contributing four aces to their success.
MacKellar was a standout performer for New Haven, leading the team with 17 kills and accumulating 18.5 points. Johnston contributed significantly with 34 assists, while
Mirella Rederer (Stuttgart, Baden Wuerttemberg, Germany/Wirtemberg Gymnasium) added 17 digs. Foster made her presence known with five blocks and six kills.
Game Two
The Chargers lost to Delaware 3-0 on Saturday at Bob Carpenter Center, with set scores of 16-25, 23-25, 20-25. The Chargers finished with 30 kills and a .114 hitting percentage.
The Chargers traded the first four points with Delaware before the home team moved from a 2-2 tie to a 6-2 lead.
Lauren MacKellar (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich./Northville) and
Quinn Yenshaw (Williamsburg, Mich./St. Francis) kills helped New Haven cut it to 6-4, but Delaware later built a 12-5 advantage before
Marley Alefaio's (Lakewood, Wash./Lakes) kill,
Mirella Rederer's (Stuttgart, Baden Wuerttemberg, Germany/Wirtemberg Gymnasium) ace, and a Delaware attack error brought the Chargers within 12-8. After Delaware stretched the margin to 18-9, New Haven answered with
Caroline Johnston's (Nolensville, Tenn./Nolensville) kill, a
Payton Malinoski (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) ace, and two Delaware attack errors to make it 18-13. Delaware pushed back in front 22-14, and after the Chargers reached 16-22, Delaware scored the final three points to take the set 25-16.
Delaware won the first three points of the second set and later built a 9-4 lead before the Chargers worked back behind kills from MacKellar, Yenshaw, and Alefaio, plus a Rederer ace that cut the margin to 12-10. Delaware pushed the lead back to 16-11, but a
Josie Foster (Brisbane, Australia/Kelvin Grove State College) kill, a Foster-MacKellar block, and a MacKellar kill brought New Haven within 16-14. The Chargers continued to stay close, getting kills from Yenshaw and Alefaio and a Johnston-Foster block to make it 23-20. MacKellar followed with a kill and Delaware committed two attack errors to tie the set at 23-23, but Delaware took the final two points to win the set 25-23.
After Delaware scored the first two points, the Chargers moved in front 6-3 as Foster and MacKellar put down kills and Alefaio, Foster, and MacKellar were involved in blocks that produced points. Delaware came back to tie the set at 6-6 and later built a 10-7 lead, but New Haven worked back to 11-11 on consecutive Alefaio kills. After Delaware tied it at 12-12, Foster's kill and a Delaware attack error gave the Chargers a 14-12 edge, and New Haven went back ahead 15-14. Delaware answered with three straight points for a 17-15 lead, pushed ahead 23-18, and after back-to-back MacKellar kills brought the Chargers to 20-23, closed the set on Redd's kill and a block by Morgan Campbell and Redd for a 25-20 set final.
MacKellar led the Chargers with 10 kills and 11.5 points, adding six digs and two blocks. Johnston finished with 22 assists, four digs, and two block assists. Alefaio added nine kills while hitting .208. Rederer recorded a team-high seven digs and served two aces.
New Haven is 1-5 overall.
Up next, the Chargers will host Temple University on Friday, Sept. 11, at 3 p.m. in Binghamton, N.Y.
