HACKENSACK, N.J.- The FDU Knights(12-16, 9-3 NEC) swept the visiting New Haven Chargers (10-16, 6-6 NEC) in FDU's final home match of the season. Before the contest, the Knights recognized their departing seniors Ava Deguzman and Szonja Csabai, as well as Graduate Assistant Coach Emma Walker. Defensively, the Knights logged seven blocks, 53 digs, and held New Haven to a .156 hitting percentage.
Trailing 4-2 early, the Knights put together a five-point-run to vault themselves back in front. FDU benefitted from three early attacking errors, as well as kills from Isabella Scarfone and Alessia Zampieri to create a 7-4 lead.
New Haven worked back to tie the game a t 16-16. From there, the game remained close until the score became 19-19. Csabai dealt a kill and helped Deguzman on a block, while Kayla Green punctuated FDU's run with an ace to give the Knights a 23-19 edge.
Csabai followed up on her efforts by delivering another kill to close out the 25-21 victory in the first set.
Neither team was able to take a commanding lead in the early stages of the second set. Madeline Joyce dealt a service ace to tie the set at 4-4, as the teams exchanged points until the Chargers pulled ahead 14-11.
FDU worked back into the set with Nina Jasiecka starting a four-point-run. The burst also featured a kill from Mila Samardzija, as well as another double block from Csabai and Deguzman as the Knights turned the deficit into a 16-15 lead.
Samardzija continued to generate scoring late in the set, logging a blocking assist alongside Angela Marchetto with and following up the effort with a kill as the Knights took a 22-18 lead
Jasiecka finished off the set with a kill to give FDU a 25-20 win in the second set.
The final set of home action saw the Knights fall behind 8-5 in the third set. FDU embarked on a six point scoring spree with Deguzman and Scarfone recording kills. Three consecutive errors from the visitors gave the Knights an 11-8 lead.
New Haven later went ahead 14-13, before FDU answered again with five of the next six points, using kills from Samardzija, Zampieri and Jasiecka to regain control of the set, 19-15.
Deguzman and Csabai added the final two kills for FDU before Zamieria and Kiah Lopez dealt the final block to end the third set, 25-21.
The Knights travel to Le Moyne at 6 p.m. on Nov. 13. The match is a part of the final weekend of the regular season, and will livestream on NEC Front Row.
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