UB Volleyball Moves To 4-1 On The Young Season With A Pair Of Sweeps To Open The Post University Invitational

Waterbury, Conn.-The University of Bridgeport volleyball team upped its 2023 season record to 4-1 with a pair of match sweeps to open the 2023 Post University Invitational at the Drubner Center in Waterbury, Connecticut, as the Purple Knights defeated Post University (0-4) and Franklin Pierce University (2-1) by identical 3-0 scores.

In Friday's opener against host Post University, the Purple Knights won a tight first set, 26-24 that featured seven ties and three lead changes and then cruised to the sweep taking the next two stanzas by scores of 25-14 and 25-15.

Freshman Hailey Jessen (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) led the UB offense in the win over the host Eagles with 13, and she also chipped in seven digs, two service aces and a pair of blocks.

Junior setter Jaden Drollinger (Queens Creek, Ariz.) had a solid all-around match in Friday's lid lifter, as she fell just shy of a double-double with 23 assists and nine digs, plus she added three blocks and two service aces.

On defense, sophomore Isabella Carmona-Bailey (McKinney, Tex.) was all over the court leading Bridgeport with a match-high 22 digs, and junior Madison Jongsma (Sanford, Fla.) had a team and game-best four blocks (one solo).  Carmona-Bailey also had three services aces versus Post.

Versus Franklin Pierce, UB used a balanced offensive attack that saw five player had at least six kills to top the Ravens, 25-12, 26-24, 25-14 and hit .316 as a team.

Hailey Jessen again led the UB offense with 17 kills, and she was joined in double figures by graduate student Datari Mathis (Wethersfield, Conn.) with 10 kills.  Mathis just missed a double-double, as she had nine digs and added 4 blocks at the net.

Sophomore Lucia Tomiello (Caltrano, Italy) and freshman Grace Presswood (S. Dennis, Mass.), each had eight kills for the winners, and Tomiello contributed nine digs and Presswood had a team and match-high 19 digs.

Isabella Carmona-Bailey also reached double-digit digs in Friday's second match with 16 and had four service aces.

Jaden Drollinger had a season-best 42 assist versus FPU to push her over the 2400 mark for her stellar career at UB, as she now has amassed 2421 career helpers.

The Purple Knights will close out play on Saturday at the 2023 Post University Volleyball Invitational with two more matches, as UB faces St. Anselm at 3:00 p.m. followed by the second match-up of the early season against Southern Connecticut State.