FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2015
Adelphi, Franklin Pierce and New Haven Ready for NCAA East Regional
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Three Northeast-10 teams earned spots in the NCAA Volleyball Championship and will compete in the East Regional, which begins on Thursday. Adelphi is the top seed and will host the regional, while sixth-seeded Franklin Pierce and seventh-seeded New Haven will also represent the conference.
The Chargers will open up the regional with a matchup against No. 2 seed Bridgeport on Thursday at noon, and the Ravens will follow with a 2:30 p.m. match against third-seeded Dowling. The back-to-back NE-10 Champion Panthers will then take on No. 8 seed Post University at 5 p.m. on Thursday.
Adelphi claimed its second consecutive NE-10 Championship with a three-set sweep of New Haven in the title match on Saturday, Nov. 21. The Panthers (26-4) enter the NCAA Championship having won 21 straight matches, including going a perfect 14-0 in conference play to take the NE-10 regular season crown.
Top-seeded Adelphi, guided by NE-10 Coach of the Year Danielle MacKnight, has not lost a match since dropping a 3-0 contest to Dowling on Sept. 16. The Panthers boast three first team all-conference members anchored by NE-10 Player and Setter of the Year Megan Manierski (pictured).
Franklin Pierce makes the NCAA field for the third time in program history - all coming in the last four seasons under head coach Stephanie Dragan. The Ravens, led by NE-10 Rookie of the Year Katie Leidhold, sport an 18-10 record and went 12-2 in conference play this season.
New Haven looks to repeat as NCAA East Region Champions after cruising through the regional a season ago and making an appearance in the national quarterfinals. Under the watch of head coach Robin Salters, the Chargers (18-15) upset the Ravens in the first round of this year's NE-10 Championship before defeating American International to reach the title match as the No. 7 seed.
The regional semifinals will take place on Friday with the regional championship match scheduled for this Saturday at 7 p.m.
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 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 Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
