Box Score West Haven, CT - The Adelphi University volleyball team traveled to West Haven, Connecticut on Thursday, November 29 to compete in the NCAA Division II East Regional for the sixth season in a row. The third seeded Panthers faced off against the #6 Pioneers of LIU-Post in quarterfinal action and won a hard fought match 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-20), improving to 25-11 and advancing to the NCAA Division II East Regional Semifinals.

Kaitlyn DeStefano powered the Adelphi offense along with Chelsea Overholt as they both posted double figure kills with 11 and 10 respectively. Samantha Rico chipped in nine and Haley Blunt added seven, while Katie Bryson led all players with 30 assists. Bryson also paced the Panther defense, totaling 10 digs, while Hernandez added eight and Overholt had seven.

The Panthers opened the first set on fire, bolting out to a five point lead, 7-2, which was capped by an Overholt kill. However, the Pioneers kept fighting, outscoring Adelphi 12-6 and taking their first lead of the game, 14-13. It remained tight the rest of the game, as the teams traded 3-0 spurts before Haley Blunt kill knotted the action at 23. The Panthers then got some help from LIU-Post as an attack error made the count 24-23 and another Blunt smash put the game away for Adelphi, 25-23.  

The second set was back and forth and tight throughout as the largest lead for either team was just three points until late in the action. Adelphi trailed by one, 17-16 when an Overholt hammer tied the game at 17 and sent the Panthers on what would be a game ending 9-4 run that was closed out by Samantha Rico and Overholt.

Rico showed off her power game with a kill that bounced directly off a Pioneer player and out of bounds and then using a deft touch to the corner of the court to put Adelphi one point from the win, while Overholt struck the game winner home with authority , putting Adelphi up 2-0 with the 25-21 victory.

Adelphi and LIU-Post shadowed each other in the early going of the third set and an Adelphi attack error tied the contest at 13. However, that's when the Panthers turned it up a notch and went on a 8-4 run, capped by a Hernandez service ace that gave the Brown and Gold a comfortable four point cushion, 21-17.

A LIU-Post attack error pushed the Panther margin to five, 24-19 and after a Pioneer kill, DeStefano put an exclamation point on the contest and sent Adelphi into the regional semifinal in style with a big solo block, 25-20.

The Panthers advance to face #2 Bridgeport at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 30 in West Haven, Connecticut on the campus of the University of New Haven. This will be Adelphi's third straight trip to the NCAA Division II East Regional Semifinals.

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