Volleyball Stopped at Sacred Heart on Saturday

The Central Connecticut volleyball team was stopped, 3-0, at Sacred Heart on Saturday night in Fairfield, CT. The Pioneers took the match by winning games by scores of 25-11, 25-16, 25-21. The loss moves Central to 11-12 overall and 7-4 in the Northeast Conference.

The Blue Devils host two matches to close out the regular season next weekend. CCSU plays St. Francis Brooklyn on Friday night.

Sophomore Emma Henderson led the Blue Devils with 10 kills, while adding four digs. Junior Gala Galabova added six kills and two blocks. Juniors Madelyn Kaprelyan and Erin McDermott had 14 and 11 assists, respectively.

Sophomore Ashlyn Eisenga had 17 digs to lead the CCSU defense.

The Pioneers would lead throughout the opening two games of the match. SHU opened the first game by building a 5-0 lead and CCSU was unable to get any closer. The Blue Devils would score back to back points late in the set after Galabova recorded a kill and then teamed up with junior Morgan Woycik for a block. The Pioneers would close the set out with three straight points to win, 25-11.

SHU opened game two with a three straight points before consecutive kills by McDermott and Galabova would get CCSU within, 5-4. A kill by senior Raquel Quirarte had Central within, 6-5, before SHU rattled off four straight points. The Blue Devils would get within, 10-8, until the Pioneers took control with a 10-1 run. Central would rally with four straight points late, but SHU closed the game with a kill to build a 2-0 lead in the match.

Central opened the third game by taking its first lead of the match. Kaprelyan and sophomore Eline van Heijningen teamed up for a block and Kaprelyan followed with a kill to make it 2-0. A kill by Galabova later in the set put CCSU ahead 7-6 before Sacred Heart scored eight unanswered points as part of an 11-1 spurt. Central would chip away at the deficit and close within 21-19 after an ace by Kaprelyan and an SHU error. The Pioneers would not allow the set to get any closer and closed the match with a kill to make it 25-21 and win the match, 3-0.