NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Southern Connecticut State University volleyball team opened the 2019 season with a 3-1 win over Dominican College and a 3-0 sweep over Queens College at Pelz Gymnasium. The Owls move to 2-0 overall, while the Chargers move to 0-2 and the Knights move to 1-1 on the season.
As a team, SCSU put together two overall stellar performances in both wins as they collected contributions from multiple players on the court.
Abigail Epstein (Crystal River, Fla.),
Ella White (Gurnee, Ill.) and
Ariel Letcher (Sebastian, Fla.) had impressive outings in their SCSU debuts combining for 57 of the Owls' 91 kills on the day. Returners
Jennifer Dawson (Clinton, Conn.),
Tea Carter (Modesto, Calif.) and
Anna Venard (Thornton, Colo.) strung together solid performances providing the Owls with consistent play on the floor in both games. Dawson collected 12 kills and 17 digs, while Carter notched 72 assists and Venard collected 21 digs through two games.
Scores by Set vs. Dominican
Set 1: DOM 25, SCS 22
Set 2: SCS 25. DOM 15
Set 3: SCS 25, DOM 13
Set 4: SCS 23, DOM 16
Notes:
- Erika Benson and Abigail Epstein led the Owls in kills in the first game with 12 apiece while Ariel Letcher was right behind them with 11.
- The newcomer Epstein led the Owls in three major categories in her SCSU debut with 12 kills, six aces and three blocks.
- Senior Tea Carter was nothing short of a play-maker in her season debut as she collected a career-high 39 assists.
Scores by Set vs. Queens
Set 1: SCS 25, QUE 11
Set 2: SCS 25, QUE 18
Set 3: SCS 25, QUE 15
Notes
- Benson, Epstein and White were the powerhouses for the Owls against Queens as they led the team with eight kills each.
- Carter kept her play-making ability rolling with 33 assists in the nightcap.
Things To Know
- Southern Connecticut hadn't won their first two games of the season since 2017 when they swept Dominican and the University of Bridgeport in back-to-back games.
- The Owls almost tripled their opponents kills combined (91-36) on the night.
- Benson was the Owls most on-point hitter as she led the team in both games with a .429 hitting percentage (12-for-21) against Dominican and a .400 hitting percentage (8-for-15) against Queens.
Up Next
The Owls are set to host their second tri-match in as many days when they host Assumption College and Caldwell University on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively.