With conference play in full swing, the Central Connecticut volleyball team is starting to heat up at the right time. The Blue Devils faced off against Fairleigh Dickson on Friday at home and made a statement to the rest of the Northeast Conference. They made quick work of FDU, defeating them in straight sets.

Leading the way for CCSU was the two-time reigning NEC player of the week Madelyn Kaprelyan. The junior seemed to do it all, recording 12 total kills in the match, along with 11 assists and an ace.

Kaprelyan received high praise from her coach, Linda Sagnelli, after the win.

“Madelyn has really been running a great offense and has really been putting the ball in a good location for our hitters,” Sagnelli said.

Along with Kaprelyan, fellow junior Erin McDermott recorded a game-high 23 assists.

One key to the success of the Blue Devils is starting each set strong. Sagnelli emphasized this when asked about the importance of being focused at the beginning of each set.

“I think it’s great, it sets the tone of a match, establishes the rhythm of a match. The connection of the setter and the hitter, if it starts well it normally stays good, especially in a more intense match-up,” Sagnelli said.

In the first set, Central dominated FDU, scoring the first three points of the match. The Blue Devils kept the same energy throughout the set and scored the final six points, leading to a 25-10 rout.

The second set started the same, with CCSU showing their dominance through a five-point run to open the game. The Knights then rallied, bringing the score to 11-10, with the Blue Devils leading. Central would go on to win the set by a score of 25-17.

Sophomore Samantha McCreath started the third and final set by serving five straight points in a 6-0 Blue Devils run. The set ended with a kill by Raquel Quirarte, leaving the final score of the match at 25-15.

After reaching the NEC finals last year, Sagnelli doesn’t want the team to get too ahead of themselves.

“Our motto is to go 1-0 on the day, if we string enough of those together we will finish top-four,” Sagnelli said.

This approach has benefitted the team so far this year, as they boasted a 4-1 record in the NEC after their victory against FDU, placing them second overall in the conference behind the reigning champions, LIU Brooklyn.

In the Blue Devil’s second game of the weekend, they faced off against Sacred Heart and won 3-1 against the Pioneers. Kaprelyan posted her third triple-double of the season, leading the Blue Devils to a 5-1 NEC record.

The first set was close with the score tied at 14-14 during the game. Quirarte had a pair of kills during a five-to-zero run. The set was finished by a kill from Kaprelyan, with CCSU winning 25-22.

The second set began with the Pioneers leading 12-3. What seemed like a blowout got as close as 24-24, as the Pioneers prevailed by a score of 27-25.

The third set was a close one, with the score tied at 12 early. Kaprelyan served two aces during a five-to-zero run. The score was brought back within reach of the Pioneers, 19-18. An error by SHU gave the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead on the match.

The Blue Devils made the fourth and final set a convincing one. Senior Kaitlyn Kushman served three straight points and led CCSU to a 25-15 game.