Bridgeport Volleyball Falls To Top-Seed New Haven In East Regional Final In Five-Set Thriller

West Haven, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport women's volleyball team saw its 2012 season come to end in the NCAA East Division II Regional Final on Saturday night, as the number one seed and host University of New Haven Chargers staved off four match points in the fifth and deciding set to defeat the number two seeded Purple Knights, 3-2 (16-25, 25-20, 13-25, 25-20, 16-18).  UB closes out its stellar 2012 season with a 27-5 record.  2012 marks the fourth straight season that Bridgeport has reached the NCAA Division II East Regional Final.  UNH moves onto the NCAA National Quarterfinals on a 27-match win streak, and with and overall record of 30-1.

Sophomore Biljana Savic (Novi Sad, Serbia) led the Purple Knights with 14 kills, and she was joined in double figure kills by classmate Ying Shen (Nanjing, China) with 12 and senior Sabrina Simas (Blumenau, Brazil) with 11.  Savic and Shin notched double-doubles ad they recorded 11 and 20 digs respectively.

Sophomore Larissa Oliveira (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) had nine kills and senior Darsel Springer (Bonair Gardens, Trinidad & Tobago) added eight kills.

Senior captain and libero Taylor McBeth (Langley, B.C., Canada) closed out her four years in a UB uniform with a match-high 33 digs.

Sophomore setter Fernanda Silva (Brasilia, Brazil) directed the UB offense with 46 assists, and she notched a double-double with 12 digs.

Keidy Candelaria and Kristy Atufunwa led the champion Chargers with 15 kills.

Three Purple Knights were named to the All-NCAA East Regional Team in Taylor McBeth, Biljana Savic and Ying Shen.