Volleyball Storms Into East Regional Semifinals With Sweep Of Dowling

West Haven, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport women's volleyball team stormed into the semifinals of the 2012 NCAA Division II Women's Volleyball Championship East Regional with a straight sets (25-19, 25-15, 25-22) over the seventh seed Dowling College Golden Lions.  The number two-seed and defending East Regional Champion Purple Knights will now face the number three-seed Adelphi University Panthers who swept LIU Post to advance in Thursday first match.

Bridgeport has now won 14 matches in a row, and the Purple Knights are now 26-4 overall on the year.  Dowling closes its 2012 season at 20-15.

Sophomore Biljana Savic (Novi Sad, Serbia) led Bridgeport with 13 kills on the day.  Seniors Sabrina Simas (Blumenau, Brazil) and Darsel Springer (Bonair Gardens, Trinidad & Tobago) fell just shy double double-dgit kills with nine each.

Sophomore Larissa Oliveira (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) had a fine all-around match with seven kills on 13 attacks with no errors for a .538 attack percentage, plus she added six blocks (one solo).  Springer also chipped in six block assists.

Senior Taylor McBeth (Langley, B.C. Canada) and sophomore Ying Shen (Nanjing, China) led the UB defense with 10 digs apiece.

Bridgeport setter Fernanda Silva (Brasilia, Brazil) directed the Purple Knights' offense with 39 assists, and she also contributed three kills, three digs, two service aces and two block assists.

Bethany Shepard led Dowling with 12 kills.