FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chargers Claim Sixth NE10 Title in Program History with 5-Set Win Over Crosstown Rival
For the third consecutive match, New Haven was able to erase a two-set deficit and win in five sets as they won their second straight Northeast-10 Conference Volleyball Championship Saturday night. Here's how the action played out at Chargers' Gymnasium -
1 New Haven 3, #7 Southern Connecticut 2
WEST HAVEN, Conn. - New Haven rallied from a 2-1 deficit to force a deciding set before Northeast-10 Conference Championship Most Valuable Player Kali Greathead heated up smacking four kills to lead the Blue and Gold to their second-straight and sixth overall NE10 Championship. In addition to Greathead earning MVP honors, the NE10 Rookie of the Year was one of two Chargers on the All-Championship team, joined by senior middle blocker Alex Bussey.
For the match, Greathead led a pair of Chargers in double figures with 16 kills and a .222 attack percentage. Overall for the NE10 Championship, Greathead hammered 50 kills, which led the team, while she was second overall with 50 digs. The rookie outside hitter finished all three matches of the tournament with a double double, rounding out her championship match efforts with 19 digs, part of four players in double figures.
Joining Greathead in lead the Chargers against Southern Connecticut was senior outside hitter Caroline Martins who finished with 10 kills and also completed a double double with 11 digs. Bussey and senior middle blocker Lexis Peterson joined in the hitting efforts with eight and seven kills, respectfully. Peterson led all New Haven hitters in attack percentage with a .375 average, suffering just one error. Included in Peterson's performance were a pair of commanding kills in the fifth set, the second of which was the match clinching attack.
Utilizing a 6-2 offense, the Chargers relied on a pair of setters to captain the offense with junior Kristine Rios leading the way with 25 assists, while graduate student Annika Hacker provided 17 assists. Rios also added seven kills, while rounding out her 20th double double with 19 digs. The Blue and Gold also benefited from a combined seven service aces with Hacker and junior defensive specialist Brianna Mirmina each dropping three unreturned serves.
Leading the Chargers defensively was junior Lindsey Kim who rounded out the night with 31 digs. New Haven also combined for nine total blocks led by Bussey who finished with six total, a pair of solo blocks to go along with four block assists. Peterson followed with three blocks, all of which were solo stuffs.
With the victory over Southern Connecticut, the Chargers advance to the NCAA Division II National Championship for the 12th straight season and 32nd time in program history. New Haven will learn its East Regional first round opponent during a live selection show on Monday, November 20 at 7:30 p.m. on NCAA.com
2017 NE10 All-Championship Team
Alex Bussey, New Haven
Kali Greathead, New Haven
Katy Teets, Saint Anselm
Leanna Jadus, Southern Connecticut
Ashley Hitchcock, Stonehill
Most Outstanding Player - Kali Greathead, New Haven
2017 NE10 Volleyball Championship Schedule
Tuesday, November 14th
Quarterfinals at Higher Seeds
Match 1: #1 New Haven 3, #8 Pace 2
Match 2: #7 Southern Connecticut 3, #2 American International 1
Match 3: #6 Saint Anselm 3, #3 Bentley 2
Match 4: #5 Stonehill 3, #4 Adelphi 1
Friday, November 17th
Semifinals - at New Haven
Match 5: #1 New Haven 3, #5 Stonehill 2
Match 6: #7 Southern Connecticut 3, #6 Saint Anselm 2
Saturday, November 18th
Championship - at New Haven
Match 7: #1 New Haven 3, #7 Southern Connecticut 2
Information for this release provided by the athletic communications staff at New Haven
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.