Purple Knights Top Bentley, 3-1, In NCAA Women’s Volleyball East Regional Semifinals

Bridgeport, Conn.-For the fifth time in six years, the University of Bridgeport women's volleyball team will be making an appearance in the NCAA Division II East Regional Final, as the Purple Knights topped the scrappy Bentley University Falcons, 3-1 (25-16, 16-25, 25-18, 25-17) in Friday night's second regional semifinal after the University of New Haven Chargers swept the LIU Post Pioneers in the night's first semi in UB's Hubbell Gymnasium.  Saturday night's East Regional Final will begin in Connecticut's Park City at 7:00 p.m. with the winner heading to Louisville, Kentucky for action in the Round of Eight in the 2014 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship that will be part of the 2014 Division II Sports Festival from December 4-6.  Bridgeport defeated New Haven in four sets in 2011 to win the East Regional and make the program's only trip to the NCAA Final Eight.  In 2009 and 2010, Bridgeport fell to the Golden Lions of Dowling College in the Regional Finals and in 2012, New Haven topped UB for the regional crown.  The Chargers and the Purple Knights met in last season's regional semifinals hosted by UB, and UNH prevailed in five sets to advance to the regional finals where they were defeated by LIU Post.

Versus the Falcons on Friday night, Bridgeport got off to a quick start taking the opening set, 25-16, before Bentley turned the tables on their host to win set number two by the same score.

In the third set, the Falcons led 13-10 before the Purple Knights won the frame closing out play on a 15-5 run, and in the fourth set Bridgeport raced out to a 13-6 lead and never looked back as the picked up their fourteenth straight victory to up their overall season record to 26-2.  UB has also won 23 of its last 24 matches.  Bentley closes out the 2014 season with a 19-11 record.

Bridgeport's Biljana Savic (Grad. Student, Novi Sad, Serbia) led all player on the night 15 kills, and she notched a double-double as she added 18 assists,  Savic, the two-time East Coast Conference Player of the Year and the 2014 Daktronics East Region Player of the Year, just missed a triple-double in the regional semifinals, as she also had eight digs.

UB junior Sarah Rosa (Itjuba, Brazil) also reached double-digit kills with 12, and she added seven digs and four service aces.

Bridgeport libero Martina Santia (Sezze, Italy) led all players in digs with 11. 

Bentley's Kaleigh Sullivan led the Falcons offense with 10 kills, and setter Alex Tator distributed 25 assists.