WEST HAVEN, Connecticut - The American International College women's volleyball team opened the 2021 Northeast-10 Conference season on Tuesday, September 21 at the University of New Haven. Despite taking the second set the Yellow Jackets fell 3-1 to the Chargers.
FAST FACTS:
Final Scores: New Haven 3, AIC 1
Set Scores: 23-25, 25-21, 9-25, 18-25
Record: AIC moves to 7-5 (0-1 NE10), New Haven moves to 7-5 (1-0 NE10)
Location: Charger Gym West Haven, Connecticut
STAT LEADERS:
AIC:
Andrea Serra-Rosa: 13 kills. eight digs
Dora Butkovic: nine kills, 13 digs
Mai-Lani Hernandez: seven kills
Naomi Eckert: 34 assists, 10 digs
Amanda Rodriguez: 19 digs
New Haven:
Emily Barry: 16 kills, 14 digs
Jessica Akiona: 14 kills, 15 digs
Macy Brown: 14 kills, 10 digs, seven aces
Sophia Leon-Tabor: 48 assists, nine digs
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Chargers came out fully charged and took an early 5-2 lead. The Yellow Jackets slowly chipped back into the set and made it a 15-13 game. After a point by the home team, sophomore middle blocker Mai-Lani Hernandez started a push. AIC forced an error by New Haven before junior libero Amanda Rodriguez served an ace to tie the game.
- The Chargers led 19-17 when graduate outside hitter Andrea Serra-Rosa made it a one-point game on a kill. A bad set by New Haven allowed the Yellow Jackets to tie the game. Freshman outside hitter Dora Butkovic gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the day.
- The teams battled and exchanged the lead. New Haven was able to pull ahead 23-21. The Yellow Jackets took the next two points, but it was not enough as the Chargers took set one 25-23.
- The Yellow Jackets buzzed ahead in the second set, 8-4, that included points from Hernandez, Butkovic, and rookie outside hitter Paola Alejandra Soto-Burgos.
- Equal at 20, Soto-Burgos recorded back-to-back kills from sophomore setter Naomi Eckert to give AIC the lead. The Chargers scored a single point before Soto-Burgos tallied another kill. AIC forced another New Haven error to give them a set point. Hernandez and Butkovic slammed the door shut on a Charger comeback with a block to take the set 25-21.
- After the Yellow Jackets earned the first two points, the Chargers took the reigns and took the set 25-9.
- New Haven continued to roll in the fourth set as they took a 10-3 lead. The Yellow Jackets tried to get back into the set, but the Chargers' lead was too much as they took the set 25-18.
BUZZWORTHY:
- Serra-Rosa jumped into 5th place in program history, fourth in the rally-scoring era, with 1,158 kills. She passed Sarah Neaves who played from 1998-2001 and recorded 1,148 career kills. She now sets her eyes on Ellisha Terry, 2008-11, who had 1,286 kills.
- Additionally, she jumped Neaves in career points. Serra-Rosa's 1,318 points are one ahead of Neaves for fifth place as well.
NEXT UP:
- The Yellow Jackets open their home season on Saturday, September 25 against Stonehill at 6 p.m.
