Purple Knights Battle But Fall Twice In Season-Opening Tri-Match At Adelphi

Garden City, N.Y.-The University of Bridgeport women's volleyball team opened its 2022 season with a tri-match on Thursday afternoon hosted by the Adelphi University Panthers, and the Purple Knights fell twice dropping the day's opener to the seventeenth-ranked in the nation by the American Volleyball Coaches' Association, Wayne State (Neb.) University Wildcats, 16-25, 14-25, 11-25.  UB ended the day with a five-set loss against the host Panthers, 16-25, 25-19, 25-23, 19-25, 5-15.

Against Wayne State, sophomore Paola Hernandez (Bayamon, P.R.) led the Bridgeport offense with 13 kills.  Freshman Lucia Tomiello (Caltrano, Italy) added eight kills for the Purple Knights.

Sophomore setter Jaden Drollinger (Queens Creek, Az.) had a double-double for UB in the season opener with 22 assists and 11 digs.

Freshman Isabella Carmona-Bailey (McKinney, Tex.) led the UB defense with 12 digs against the Wildcats in her Purple Knights' debut.

In the nightcap, Paola Hernandez recorded a career-high 21 kills, and she was joined in double figures by Lucia Tomiello with 14.  Both players also had double-doubles adding 16 and 17 digs respectively.

Jaden Drollinger had her second double-double of the day with 40 assists and 13 digs.

Isabella Carmona-Bailey again led the UB defense with 18 digs.

Head coach Gary Mullin and his team will be right back in action tomorrow with another tri-match, as the Purple Knights travel to New York City and Queens (N.Y.) College for matches against the host Knights along with the University of New Haven.  Friday's action will begin for UB versus UNH at 1:30 p.m. followed by a tilt against Queens at 4:00 p.m.