Volleyball Sweeps Merrimack for Fourth Straight Win

The Central Connecticut won its fourth straight match with a crisp 3-0 win over Merrimack on Friday at Detrick Gymnasium. The Blue Devils had just five hitting errors as a team, while holding the Warriors to a -.024 hitting percentage. Central will travel to St. Francis Brooklyn for a 4:00 p.m. match on Saturday.

HIGHLIGHTS

GAME INFORMATION
Score: CCSU 3, Merrimack 0 (25-9, 25-9, 25-11)
Records: CCSU (11-12, 7-4 NEC), MC (1-19, 0-12 NEC)
Location: Detrick Gymnasium (New Britain, CT)

COACH QUOTE

"We wanted to set the tone for the match tonight and play at our pace and I think that's exactly what we did. No matter who was on the floor, and all 15 players got to play, we needed to have that same mentality which was, 'Be aggressive, play at our pace and don't get sloppy with the ball'," said head coach Linda Sagnelli. 

KEY MOMENTS 

• Central outscored the Warriors, 9-1, to build a 13-3 lead and force a timeout. The Blue Devils scored five straight points to close the set out.
• CCSU scored the first five points of the second seet and would build a 14-4 lead after six straight points. A 7-0 run, featuring four straight aces by senior Erin McDermott and sophomore Natalaie Novak pushed the lead to 22-8.
• CCSU used a 7-0 spurt, featuring two kills each by senior Morgan Woycik and junior Emma Henderson, to build a 20-7 margin in the third set. Senior Madelyn Kaprelyan scored Central's final two points of the set to close the match.

NUMBER TO KNOW

.472 - Central hit a season-best .472 as a team, committing just five errors

NOTES 

• CCSU swept the season-series against Merrimack in its first season competing in Division I.
• Junior Emma Henderson posted her 10th double-double of the season with 10 kills and 10 digs.
• Junior Ashlyn Eisenga had a team-high 13 digs and helped CCSU limit Merrimack to a -.024 hitting percentage.
• Senior Madelyn Kaprelyan had 16 assists with seven kills and five digs.
• Junior Nicole Kramer hit .750 and had six kills with two blocks.
• The Blue Devils had 10 aces, with Henderson posting four, and Novak chipping in with three.

UP NEXT
Central travels to Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday.