THREE-PEAT!!! UB Volleyball Takes Third Straight ECC Title

Bridgeport, Conn.-For the third straight season, the University of Bridgeport women's volleyball team has captured the East Coast Conference title, as the host and top-seeded Purple Knights swept the number three seed, LIU Post Pioneers in three tight sets, 25-23, 26-24, and 25-21 on Saturday night in UB's Hubbell Gymnasium.  With the victory, Bridgeport grabs an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship Tournament that will begin on Thursday, November 20.  In the final regular season NCAA Regional Rankings, the Purple Knights were ranked number one in the East Region and stand a great chance of hosting the NCAA Regional for the second straight season when the 2014 NCAA Championship field is announced at 10:00 p.m. on Sunday evening.  This year's NCAA appearance will be the seven consecutive appearances in the National Championship Tournament for the Purple Knights.

Saturday's win ups the Purple Knights' overall record to an impressive 24-2.  UB has now won 12 straight matches and 21 of their last 22 outings.  Bridgeport is a perfect 11-0 in Hubbell Gym so far in 2014.  LIU Post is now 19-13 overall.  The Pioneers, the defending NCAA Division II East Regional Champions, stand a strong chance of receiving an NCAA at-large to the 2014 NCAA Championship on Sunday night.

In Friday's opening set, LIU Post led Bridgeport, 23-20, before the hosts stormed back to notch the final five points of the opening stanza to take the 25-23 win.

In set two, it was the Pioneers who battle back from trailing 23-20 to tie things up at 24-24 before UB notched back-to-back points for the set win.

In set three, Bridgeport raced out to a 17-12 lead and held on for the 25-21 win to complete the sweep.

UB senior Ying Shen (Nanjing, China), who was named the 2014 East Coast Conference Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player, led the Bridgeport offense with 13 kills and .571 attack percentage.  Shen also won ECC Championship MOP honors in 2012.

Junior Sarah Rosa (Itajuba, Brazil) also reached double-digit kills for the Purple Knights with 10.

Bridgeport's Biljana Savic (Grad. Student, Novi Sad, Serbia) had a double-double for the winners with 17 assists and a match-high 15 digs, plus she added seven kills.

Savic's classmate Giovana Soares (Sao Paulo, Brazil) led Bridgeport with 18 assists.

Senior Larissa Oliveira (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) was outstanding on both sides of the net for the winners with seven total blocks and six kills on a .455 attack percentage.

LIU Post's Heather Adams led all players on the night 15 kills and she also chipped in nine digs and three blocks.