Volleyball Looks to Clinch Share of the America East Regular Season Title at UMBC on Sunday (1 p.m.)

Friday, November 13

Stony Brook, N.Y.

5 PM

University of New Hampshire

Stony Brook University

Photo by: Greg Greene

Volleyball Looks to Clinch Share of the America East Regular Season Title at UMBC on Sunday (1 p.m.)

11/12/2015 4:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

DURHAM, N.H. – The University of New Hampshire volleyball team, which clinched its fifth consecutive appearance in the America East Championships, concludes its regular season slate at the IUniveristy of Maryland, Baltimnore County on Sunday, Nov. 15 (1 p.m.). UNH can clinch a share of the league regular season title with a win over UMBC. Additionally, New Hampshire has a chance to earn home-court advantage in the America East Championships for the third-straight year with a win.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: UNH comes into last weekend of the regular season with an overall record of 17-8 overall and 9-1 in conference play.

Last time out, New Hampshire upended the University of Massachusetts Lowell in straight sets (25-15, 25-10, 25-12). Senior outside hitter Abby Brinkman (Brecksville, Ohio) slammed 10 kills on 14 swings to record a career-high .643 hitting percentage in the sweep over the River Hawks. The Wildcats have won 11 of their last 12 with the one against the University at Albany on Nov. 1 (18-25, 23-25, 22-25).

Forrest lands a team-high 2.99 kills per set and ranks second on the squad in with 2.93 digs per set. Junior middle blocker Demi Muses (Orangevale, Calif.) bolsters the attack by tallying 2.95 kills per set while chalking up a team-high 56 blocks. Junior setter Keelin Severtson (Delray Beach, Fla.) has piloted the New Hampshire offense with a conference-best 9.44 assists per set and leads the America East with 47 service aces. Severtson's .53 aces per set ranks fourth amongst all Division I players. Senior defensive specialist Madison Lightfoot (Clarkston, Mich.) anchors the passing and back-row defense with 4.27 digs per set.

The Wildcats are second in America East Conference with a hit percentage of .200 while averaging 11.78 kills per set. New Hampshire is holding its opponents to a league-best .167 clip. From the service line, the 'Cats are ripping a conference-high 1.78 aces per set, which ranks eighth in the nation.

SCOUTING STONY BROOK: The Seawolves enter the weekend with an overall record of 11-17 and 5-5 in America East play. Stony Brook dropped a pair of five-set matches on the road over the weekend as the Seawolves fell to UAlbany (Nov. 6; 22-25, 25-14, 25-19, 22-25, 12-15) and Binghamton (Nov. 7; 25-21, 17-25, 22-25, 25-16, 12-15).

Fletcher leads the charge on the offensive end for Stony Brook, tallying an America East leading 3.54 kills per set on the season. Senior libero Lo Hathaway anchors the backline with 3.36 digs per set. Freshman setter Morgan Kath orchestrates the offense with a team-best 9.02 assists per set. The Seawolves boast a league high 12.85 kills per set. Coley Pawlikowski is in her second season as Stony Brook volleyball head coach.

SCOUTING UMBC: The Retrievers come into Friday's matchup with an overall record of 11-13 and 5-5 in league contests. UMBC was on the losing end of road decisions at Binghamton University. (Nov. 6; 22-25, 32-20, 16-25, 20-25) and UAlbany (Nov. 8; (13-25; 22-25, 16-25).

Rookie Makenzie Morgan is leading the team in the kills column, tallying 3.08 kills per set. She is also second in digs per set (2.13) and third in service aces (12). Classmate Maddie Schneider is second on the team with 2.86 kills per set. On defense the team's leader in blocks per set is sophomore middle blocker Paola Rojas with 1.00. Carola De Jesus patrols the backcourt, scooping up 3.59 digs per set. UMBC paces conference members with a .201 hitting percentage. Head coach Ian Blanchard enters his 11th season in charge of the Retrievers.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. STONY BROOK: UNH boasts a five-match unbeaten streak against SBU and leads the all-time series, 19-14. New Hampshire swept Stony Brook at home in its last meeting (Oct. 17; 25-17, 25-18, 25-13).

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. UMBC: UNH leads the career series against UMBC with a 17-9 record. The Wildcats have prevailed in the last eight decisions, sweeping the Retrievers three times in that span. New Hampshire trumped UMBC in four sets at Lundholm Gymnasium on Oct. 16 (25-17, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23).

POSTSEASON BOUND: New Hampshire clinched a playoff berth for the fifth consecutive season with the victory over Binghamton on Oct. 30. UAlbany is a half game ahead of New Hampshire at the top of the standings. UNH and UAlbany split the season series, each winning straight-set matches on the road. The Great Danes have one match remaining in their schedule, an away contest at UMass Lowell on Friday, Nov. 13. Whomever is atop the conference standings at the end of the regular season will serve as the host institution for the America East Championships (Nov. 20-21 or Nov. 21-22).

AMERICA EAST DOMINANCE: Through 10 matches of league play, the Wildcats have prevailed in eight contests. UNH has yet to face a fifth set in league play while sweeping 8 of 10 America East matches. New Hampshire leads the America East in hitting percentage (.250), opponent hitting percentage (.098), assists per set (12.55), kills per set (13.16) and service aces (71). Severtson leads all conference players in assists per set (11.48) and aces (23). In kills per set, the Wildcats are the only team in the league with three players who rank top-10 – Forrest (3.17; fifth), Muses (3.15; sixth) and Brinkman (3.10; eighth).

POCKET ROCKETS: Severtson has enjoyed a breakout year from the service line, hitting a league-best 0.53 aces per set to rank fourth in the nation. On 15 occasions, the junior setter has hammered two or more aces. UNH's 1.78 aces per set is the highest average by the team since the 2007 season and ranks eighth in the nation.

ROLLING DOUBLES: Forrest racked up 10 double-doubles to lead the team in 2014 and has surpassed that mark with a career-high 11 this season to pace the 'Cats once again. Muses (eight) and Severtson (four) have also tallied double-double performances this season.

CHART TOPPERS: UNH is among the upper echelon of America East in several statistical categories this season. The Wildcats lead the league in opponent hitting percentage (.167) and service aces per set (1.78). Individually, Severtson paces the conference in assists per set (9.44) and service aces (44). Additionally, Severtson's 0.53 aces per set ranks fourth in the nation. Forrest is fifth in kills per set with 2.99. Lightfoot's 4.26 digs per set is good for third in America East. Muses is third among league players with a .282 hitting percentage.

HONORS AND AWARDS:
Tori Forrest
Fairfield Invitational All-Tournament Team (Sept. 4-5)
America East Player of the Week (Sept. 8, Sept. 21, Oct. 26)
Big Orange All-Tournament Team (Sept. 19-20)

Madison Lightfoot
America East Defensive Specialist of the Week (Sept. 8, Oct. 5, Oct. 19)
Holly Young Invitational All-Tournament Team (Sept. 11-12)

Demi Muses
Rambler Classic All-Tournament Team (Aug. 29-30)
America East Player of the Week (Oct. 5)

Keelin Severtson
Big Orange All-Tournament Team (Sept. 19-20)
America East Setter of the Week (Sept. 21; Oct. 12)

LIGHTFOOT BECOMES ALL-TIME DIGS LEADER: With the Wildcats' victory over Buffalo on Sept. 20, Lightfoot became the program's all-time digs leader. The senior co-captain surpassed Jen Williams '05 on the career leaderboard, who recorded 1,398 digs in her career. Lightfoot now boasts 1,577 digs and counting in her illustrious career. Lightfoot owns two of the top 10 single-season school records for digs, which includes tying the single-season digs mark of 560 just a year ago.

1,000/1,000: Forrest continues to ascend the UNH all-time kills chart, ranking fifth with 1,205. The two-time co-captain became the eighth Wildcat to reach 1,000 kills, reaching the milestone in a four-set win (25-12, 25-18, 13-25, 25-16) against Marshall University on Sept. 4. The senior outside also eclipsed the 1,000-dig plateau against UAlbany on Nov. 1, becoming the 10^th member to hit quadruple digits. Forrest is just the third player in program history to register 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

FIVE-TIME CHAMPS: The Wildcats secured the America East title on their home court for the second straight year after defeating the University at Albany in four sets on Nov. 22, 2014. UNH has won the conference crown five times; all under the tutelage of head coach Jill Hirschinger. Additionally, all five of the program's titles have been won at Lundholm Gymnasium.

HIRSCHINGER BY THE NUMBERS: In 36 years as a head coach, Hirschinger is one of just 12 active coaches that have recorded 700 wins or more. She recorded win No. 700 on Sept. 20, 2014 against the University of Rhode Island in a five-set battle. Already the program's winningest coach, Hirschinger earned her 300th career victory at UNH when the team captured a four-set triumph over Binghamton University on Nov. 2, 2014.

DUE NEXT: The Wildcats will compete in the America East Championships. Times and opponents are to be determined. Either UNH or UAlbany will serve as the host institution on the weekend of Nov. 20.

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