Purple Knights Advance To NCAA East Regional Volleyball Final For Third Straight Season

West Haven, Conn.-For the third consecutive season, the University of Bridgeport volleyball team has advanced to the NCAA Division East Regional Final, this time defeating their conference and NCAA nemesis the Dowling College Golden Lions, who have defeated the Purple Knights in the last three NCAA Tournaments and the last two East Coast Conference finals, in five sets in an exciting match played at the University of New Haven.  Bridgeport topped Dowling, 26-24, 25-20, 23-25, 19-25, 15-5.  With the win, UB moves on to Saturday's Regional Final against the top-seeded University of New Haven Chargers which will begin at 7:00 p.m. at UNH with a 20-7 record.  Dowling closes out its outstanding 2011 season at 28-5.

Junior Sabrina Simas (Blumenau, Brazil) led four Bridgeport players in double figure kills with 16, and she also accumulated a .481 attack percentage.

Joining Simas in double-digit kills were freshman Biljana Savic (Novi Sad, Serbia) with 15, and senior Fernanda Costa (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil plus freshman Larissa Oliveira (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) who each registered 10.  Oliveira chipped in four total blocks (three solos) on defense.

Senior setter Tamara Leite (Natal, Brazil) directed the UB offense to the tune of 44 assists.

Junior Taylor McBeth (Langley, B.C., Canada) led the Bridgeport defense with 13 digs,

Dowling's Bethany Shepard led all players in the match with 24 kills.

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