Errors prove costly as Volleyball upset by New Haven, 3-1, in Northeast-10 Quarterfinal

RINDGE, N.H. (November 17, 2015) – Freshman Abigail Sonuga (Haverhill, Mass.) hit a team-leading .333 and led the team with 14 kills on Tuesday evening, as the Franklin Pierce University Volleyball team played as the number two seed in the Northeast-10 Conference Quarterfinal matchup against the seventh-seeded University of New Haven Chargers. However, the results were not meant to be, as the Chargers capitalized on 45 total Franklin Pierce errors in their upset of the Ravens by a final of 3-1 at the Fieldhouse.

With the loss, the Ravens drop to 18-10 on the season and are eliminated from the conference tournament, while New Haven improves to 17-14 on the season.

Out of the gate, the match played just as an anticipated playoff situation, as both teams would go point for point up until the match tied up at 10-10. From here, the wheels started to wobble for the Ravens, and New Haven took advantage of Franklin Pierce mistakes, as a kill by Kristen Lee was followed up by three consecutive service aces by Lindsay Kim. The Chargers would run with the lead, ultimately taking the set win 25-19, going up in the match 1-0.

The second set would see the same dogfight at the start, until midway through the set Franklin Pierce would pull away from a 10-9 score. Multiple players would contribute in a kill down the stretch, putting the Ravens in a good spot with a 21-16 lead. New Haven would then call a timeout, and come back out like a force. The Chargers would stage a rapid comeback, even with the Ravens at match point at 24-21. New Haven continued to fight, spinning off three straight points to tie, then another two to win the set 26-24 after a five point run.

Facing elimination down 2-0, the Ravens found some life in their game in set three. They would trail over halfway in, as it looked like New Haven was on a safe path to a sweep 17-13. But the Ravens would gain some traction after a called timeout, with multiple New Haven errors and kills from junior Aiden Garcia (Eagle Pass, Texas), sophomore Madison Klusendorf (Santa Maria, Calif.), and freshman Katie Leidhold (Acushnet, Mass.). Their play would lead to a 19-19 tie, where the match would begin to see-saw until things tied up at 23-23. After a New Haven timeout, Klusendorf and Sonuga would knock down two kills and give Franklin Pierce the 25-23 win to push the match to 2-1.

However, the run would stop short there in set four, as New Haven's veterans stepped up to the plate and gave a boost to the Chargers after the set tied up at 14-14. Seeing an opportunity, New Haven capitalized on Franklin Pierce errors and put down a kill when needed. But, the Ravens did not roll over after getting down 18-14, as they came back to tie the match up at 20-20. From here, Meghan Kennelly and Micki Impellizeri would each notch two kills apiece and use a Franklin Pierce attack error to end the match, taking the set 25-20, and the win 3-1.

Both teams played solid at the net, with each team notching double-figure blocks with the Ravens holding an 11-10 advantage in the category. Sonuga would put her hand in seven of those 11, while the standout for New Haven was Alex Bussey, who got a hand on six of her team's 10 total blocks for the night.

Along with Sonuga, Garcia also finished with 14 kills, while Leidhold followed suit as the only other Raven in double-figure kills with 10. Running the offense was sophomore setter Hannah Runge (Deltona, Fla.) who dished out 46 assists on the match. Defensively, senior Sarah MacHugh (Red Hook, N.Y.) stood out with 27 digs, while Klusendorf pitched in with 15. Freshman Brittany Carias (Burlingame, Calif.) contributed 10 digs as well as the only other Raven in double-figures in the category.

For New Haven, Impellizeri led the way with a match-leading 16 kills, while Kennelly proved the best all-around game, sporting a double-double with 12 kills and 17 digs. Kristine Rios facilitated the Charger attack with 40 assists, while defensively New Haven had three others in double-figure digs, led by Brianna Mirmina with 26 on the match.

The Ravens now await their fate for the rest of the season, as they look to be named into the field for the NCAA East Regional. The selection show is scheduled for this coming Monday, November 23 at 7:30 p.m.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce volleyball apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).