University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
4-8, 0-0Am. East
Northeastern University
6-5, 0-0CAA
Volleyball Suffers First Home Loss to Northeastern in Four Sets
9/16/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
DURHAM, N.H. -- Despite a strong start, the University of New Hampshire volleyball team dropped a four-set match to Northeastern University on Tuesday night at Lundholm Gymnasium.
The set scores were 25-21, 15-25, 11-25 and 9-25.
With the non-conference loss, the Wildcats fall to a record of 4-8 on the season. The Huskies up their mark to 6-5.
Junior outside hitter Tori Forrest (Powder Springs, Ga.) and sophomore middle blocker Demi Muses (Orangevale, Calif.) led the UNH offense with nine kills apiece. Senior setter Taylor Dunklau (Mukwonago, Wis.) registered 16 assists. Junior defensive specialist Madison Lightfoot (Clarkston, Mich.) paced the defensive effort with 19 digs. Muses pitched in 10 digs and a solo block.
New Hampshire opened the match strong and never trailed in the first set, posting 12 kills.
New Hampshire and Northeastern battled for the edge early, as the Wildcats owned a 13-11 lead. Back-to-back kills from junior right side hitter Brenna Buckwalter (Evergreen, Colo.) and Muses increased UNH's lead to 15-11, forcing a timeout by the Huskies. Not phased by the stoppage, the Wildcats continued their momentum, upping the score to 20-15. After a second huddle by NEU, the Huskies rattled off three consecutive points to pull within two. The two sides traded points as the score rose to 23-21 in favor of New Hampshire. Late in the frame, the 'Cats opted for a timeout to regroup. UNH closed out the set with a pair of points to take the first game.
In the second set, Northeastern's offense overwhelmed the New Hampshire defense, posting a .525 attack percentage.
Each side exchanged blows to begin the second set, knotted at 8-8. The Huskies managed to carve out a small 14-12 advantage midway through the stanza. NEU's offense kept the pressure on, tallying the next five points to lead 19-12. Northeastern went on to capture the second frame and even the match score at one apiece.
The Wildcats opened the third set with back-to-back kills from Forrest and Buckwalter. However, the Huskies countered by engineering a 10-3 run to force a New Hampshire timeout. The Wildcats bounced back briefly as junior outside hitter Abby Brinkman (Brecksville, Ohio) and Buckwalter slammed down kills in succession. Northeastern retaliated with a 5-0 run, extending its lead to 15-7. NEU maintained control for the rest of the stanza to win the third game and take a 2-1 match lead.
NEU's momentum continued in the fourth frame as the Huskies jetted out to an 8-4 lead. A pair of kills from Forrest kept the Wildcats within striking distance in the stanza. However, the Huskies closed the match with a 10-1 run to clinch match point.
New Hampshire competes in its last tournament of the regular season, hosting the ninth annual Holly Young Invitational. Lundholm Gymnasium sets the stage for UNH to clash with Brown University (Sept. 19; 7 p.m.), the University of Rhode Island (Sept. 20; 12:30 p.m.) and New Mexico State University (Sept. 20; 7 p.m.). The Saturday night match against the Aggies will be the 14th annual "Pack the Arena" night for the UNH volleyball team.
For the latest news and information on all 20 varsity sports, please visit 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). To learn more about the UNH volleyball team, like the squad on Facebook (www.facebook.com/UNHVolleyball) or follow the 'Cats on Twitter and Instagram at @UNHVOLLEYBALL.
