University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
0-1
University of Connecticut
1-0
Volleyball Falls to Connecticut in Season Opener, 3-0
8/29/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
STORRS, Conn. – The 2014 regular season officially began for the University of New Hampshire volleyball team Friday evening at the University of Connecticut Invitational. UNH fell to the tournament host Huskies in three sets (20-25, 22-25, 22-25) at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion.
UConn (1-0) recorded a .265 attack percentage in the match and held UNH (0-1) to a .151 clip.
Senior setter Taylor Dunklau (Mukwonago, Wis.) earned a double-double with 32 assists and 11 digs. Junior outside hitter Tori Forrest (Powder Springs, Ga.) led the attack with 11 kills. Sophomore middle blocker Demi Muses (Orangevale, Calif.) tallied 10 kills and added four blocks. Junior right side hitter Brenna Buckwalter (Evergreen, Colo.) registered eight kills and nine digs for a team-high .304 attack percentage. Junior defensive specialist Madison Lightfoot (Clarkston, Mich.) paced the defensive effort with 16 digs. Forrest, Muses and Lightfoot each recorded two aces.
UConn staved off New Hampshire in the opening set, 25-20. Forrest led the Wildcats with four kills in the first set while Buckwalter and Muses each had two kills apiece. UNH kept pace with UConn to open the set. However, the Wildcats could not recover after a 6-1 run by the Huskies, paving the way for an opening set win for the home team.
Connecticut rallied from behind to win the second stanza, 25-22. Forrest paced the UNH attack with five kills while Buckwalter tallied four in the frame. The Wildcats looked to level the match as the away team held a 20-11 set lead. Following a Huskies' timeout, UConn stormed back with an 8-2 run to pull within three points at 22-19. Despite a UNH timeout, Connecticut captured six of the next seven points to take the second frame.
New Hampshire fell in the deciding set, 22-25. Muses notched five kills on nine swings with just one error in the stanza. Junior middle blocker Cassidy Croci (Sylvania, Ohio) added three kills. The 'Cats opened the third set with an 8-2 lead until the Huskies clawed back to even the score at 13-13. Connecticut rattled off a 9-4 stretch for a 22-17 advantage late in the frame. UNH narrowed the deficit down to one with four consecutive points. However, UConn curbed the rally and clinched match point.
New Hampshire returns to action tomorrow in the UConn Classic to take on Indiana University (10 a.m.) and Central Connecticut (5 p.m.). The Wildcats host their home opener Tuesday, Sept. 16 (7 p.m.) against Northeastern University to begin a season-long nine-game homestand.
Check out UNHWildcats.com or follow the Wildcats via social media on Facebook (www.facebook.com/UNHWildcats), Twitter (@UNHWildcats), YouTube (www.youtube.com/UNHAthletics) and Instagram (@UNHWildcats) for the latest news and information on all 20 varsity sports. For additional information on the UNH volleyball team, like the squad on Facebook (www.facebook.com/UNHVolleyball) or follow the 'Cats on Twitter and Instagram at @UNHVOLLEYBALL.
