SMITHFIELD, RI –  Rhe-Ann Niles (St. Thomas, Barbados) hit .371 with a team-high 17 kills as the University of New Haven women's volleyball team rallied back from an 0-2 deficit to defeat Bryant University, 3-2 in non-conference volleyball action Wednesday at the Chace Athletic Center.  Game scores were 22-30, 27-30, 30-28, 30-28, 15-13.  The win improves the Chargers to  12-12 on the season while Bryant drops to 20-9 overall on the year. 

Bryant, ranked No. 2 in the region last week, capitalized on the strong play of Michelle Muniz (Guaynabo, P.R.) and Jessica Cegarra (Danville, NH) to win the first two games of the night, but New Haven wouldn't go away as the Chargers got 15 kills from freshman Charisse Cotton (East Patchogue, NY) and 10 from senior Abigail Smith (State College, Pa.) to pull even at 2-2 and force a deciding fifth game.

In the fifth, the Bulldogs led 1-0 right off the bat, but behind a kill down the line from Brittani Cotton (East Patchogue, NY) and a combined block from Smith and Niles, the Chargers quickly led 6-2.  Bryant would bounce back as Lindsay Klix (Rochester Hills, MI) beat the block with kill, but another solo block from Niles had the Chargers leading 8-4.   Niles would add another block moments later, giving New Haven an 11-4 lead. 

The Chargers would hold off a late Bryant rally as the Bulldogs pulled to within 13-14, but a kill down the line by Charisse Cotton gave the visitors the victory on the night.  Muniz had 19 kills on the night while Cegarra had 18.  Niles had 14 total blocks for UNH, five solo.

Bryant will return to Northeast-10 Conference action this Friday with a conference match at Southern Connecticut before traveling to Pace on Saturday.