Volleyball Earns Split with LIU on Wednesday

The Central Connecticut volleyball team won a five-set thriller in the second match of the day to earn a split with LIU on Wednesday in New Britain, CT. Senior Emma Henderson led the Blue Devils in kills in both matches and posted a double-double in the five-set win, along with classmate Samantha McCreath.

GAME INFORMATION
Match 1 Score: LIU 3, CCSU 0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-20)
Match 2 Score: CCSU 3, LIU 2 (25-19, 24-26, 25-18, 21-25, 15-13)
Records: CCSU (3-3, 3-3 NEC), LIU (5-3, 5-3 NEC)
Location: Detrick Gymnasium | New Britain, CT

KEY MOMENTS 

• In the first match of the day, LIU won 3-0. The Sharks used a 6-0 run in the opening set to take a 10-5 lead and kept CCSU at bay the rest of the way. LIU broke a 14-14 tie with three straight points in the second set and would go on to win 25-19. The Sharks would take a early lead in the third set and go on to sweep the match.
• Central broke a 13-13 tie in the opening frame of the second set and would not surrender the lead to take the early lead. CCSU trailed throughout the second set, but take a 24-22 lead before the Sharks rallied with three straight points to level the match. The Blue Devils fell behind 4-0 in the third set before scoring six straight to take the lead for good. LIU would lead throughout the fourth set, but CCSU would mount a late charge to get within 23-21 before LIU held on to force a fifth set. The Sharks led 9-6 in the fifth set before CCSU recorded four straight blocks, with sophomore Isabelle Roufs involved in all of them, to take the lead. Following a timeout, CCSU closed the match wth a kill by Henderson to win the match.

NUMBER TO KNOW

19 – CCSU accounted for 19 total team blocks in the second match.

NOTES 

• Teams are playing a double round-robin doubleheader format over five weeks this spring after the fall season was wiped out due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Henderson had a team-high 12 kills in the first match. She added eight digs to lead the team also. In the second match she had 24 kills and 19 digs.
• McCreath had a double-double with 11 kills and 20 digs in the second match.
• Freshman Tori Boulay had 27 assists in the second match, while junior Natalie Novak had 25.
• Freshmen Mia Lombardo and Nyjha Marcelin had 11 and 10 kills, respectively, in the CCSU win.
• Senior Ashlyn Eisenga had 27 digs in the second match.
• Roufs finished with four solo blocks and five block assists in the second match, while Lombardo added a pair of solo blocks and five assists.

UP NEXT
Central travels to Bryant on Tuesday, March 23, for two Northeast Conference matches. Links to live stats and video to follow the matches are available HERE.