Volleyball Ready to Duel No. 11 Florida in NCAA Tournament (Dec. 3; 7 p.m. | SEC Network+)

DURHAM, N.H. -- For the third consecutive year, the University of New Hampshire volleyball team will compete in the NCAA Tournament. The six-time America East champions visit No. 11 University of Florida on Thursday, Dec. 3 (7 p.m.) at Stephen C. O'Connell Center. The game will be broadcasted on SEC Network and the WatchESPN app.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE: The three-time defending America East champion Wildcats enter the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 21-8 and 11-1 in league frays.

The Wildcats ousted Binghamton University (Nov. 20; 25-17, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22) in the semifinals and then defeated the University at Albany (Nov. 21; 25-22, 23-25, 25-23, 25-21), both in four sets to win the conference crown for the third straight year and sixth in program history. Senior outside hitter Tori Forrest (Powder Springs, Ga.) was named the Championships' Most Outstanding Player. She engineered her team-leading 12th double-double, notching 24 kills and 14 digs on the strength of a .327 hitting percentage in the title match. Her 24 terminations were a season-high.

Seniors Madison Lightfoot (Clarkston, Mich.) and Cassidy Croci (Sylvania, Ohio) joined Forrest on the All-Championship team. Lightfoot finished with 53 digs over the two tournament games, while Croci had 19 total kills.

Demi Muses (Orangevale, Calif.), the league's co-Player of the Year, leads the team in points scored with a 3.65 average. The junior middle blocker registers 2.89 kills, 3.00 digs, 0.72 blocks and 0.32 aces per set. Forrest bolsters the team with a team-high 3.06 kills and 2.88 digs per set. Keelin Severtson (Delray Beach, Fla.), the America East Setter of the Year, pilots the offense to an America East-high .204 hitting percentage by dishing out a conference-high 9.74 assists per set. Severtson is a threat from the service line, ranking third in the nation with 0.53 aces per set. Lightfoot anchors the backline, chalking up 4.35 digs per set.

The Wildcats are eighth in the nation, tallying 1.77 aces per set. UNH also ranks 34th among Division I schools by limiting opponents to an .169 hitting percentage. New Hampshire averages 11.99 kills per set.

SCOUTING FLORIDA: The Gators enter the tournament ranked 11th in the nation and hosting the opening round on their home court. Earning at-large bid out of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), Florida compiled a 22-6 overall record and 13-5 in conference play. The last time out, UF swept Long Island University Brooklyn on Nov. 27 at home on Senior Day (25-16, 25-16, 25-19). Florida leads the nation in attack percentage at .317, ranks 19th in opponent hitting efficiency (.160), 20th in kills per set (14.31), 21st in blocks per set (2.79) and 34th in assists per set (13.11).

Sophomore middle blocker Rhamat Alhassan is third in the nation with 1.63 blocks per set, ninth in hitting efficiency (.424) and tied for seventh in total blocks (163). Senior middle blocker Simone Antwi is second on the team and 35th in the nation with a hitting percentage of .398. Junior right side hitter Alex Holston leads the Gators with 3.32 kills per set, while also averaging -.62 blocks per set. Senior libero Nikki O'Rourke anchors the backline, averaging 4.33 per set. Classmate Mackenzie Dagostino directs the nation's top hitting percentage and is 11th in the nation with 11.46 assists per set.

Mary Wise, a two-time AVCA National Coach of the Year, is in her 25th season as head coach of the Gators.

BACK TO THE DANCE: New Hampshire returns to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year and sixth in program history, capturing the America East title in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The other times the Wildcats have clinched the automatic qualifier out of the America East Conference are 1998, 2002 and 2003. It marks the first-time in program history UNH has made three straight appearances to the NCAA Tournament.

SHARE THE WEALTH: The America East bestowed UNH 13 postseason awards with juniors Demi Muses and Keelin Severtson taking home the league's co-Player of the Year and Setter of the Year respectively. Tori Forrest garnered First Team and All-Academic Team honors for the third straight season. Muses and Severtson joined Tori Forrest on the All-Conference First Team. Madison Lightfoot notched her second consecutive appearance on the All-Conference Second Team. Alongside Forrest, Cassidy Croci (Sylvania, Ohio) and Abby Brinkman (Brecksville, Ohio) merited All-Academic Team mentions. Following the conclusion of the tournament Forrest was named the America East Championships' Most Outstanding Player. Joining Forrest on the All-Championship Team were Lightfoot and Croci.

ROARING 20s: Head coach Jill Hirschinger has guided UNH to the 20-win mark in each of the past three seasons. The 20th year head coach of the Wildcats has reached 20 wins nine times at New Hampshire and 18 times in her 37 years serving at the helm. New Hampshire's 21 wins this season is the most in program history since the 2003 season (23-12, 12-2 AE).

BATTLE TESTED: UNH boasts six seniors that have been apart of three NCAA Tournament appearances, winning the America East crown the past three seasons. The Class of 2016 consists of Abby Brinkman, Brenna Buckwalter, Cassidy Croci, Tori Forrest, Maggie Kenney and Madison Lightfoot. The senior class has propelled the Wildcats to a 76-47 record during their tenure in Durham.

EXCLUSIVE COMPANY: UNH became the third program in America East history to win three straight league titles. New Hampshire has yet to be defeated in tournament play at Lundholm Gymnasium, boasting a 12-0 record. UNH joins UAlbany and Hofstra University as the only programs to claim three-straight America East titles.

POCKET ROCKETS: Severtson has enjoyed a breakout year from the service line, ripping a league-best 0.54 aces per set to rank third in the nation. On 18 occasions, the junior setter has hammered two or more aces. UNH's 1.77 aces per set is the highest average by the team since the 2007 season and ranks eighth in the nation.

WELCOME TO LUNDHOLM: UNH is a perfect 12-0 when it hosts the conference tournament, earning six tournament championships in its history. The road to the America East title has gone through the Durham the past three years. New Hampshire joins UAlbany as the only team to host the tournament in three-straight seasons.

DEFEND DURHAM: New Hampshire boasts a 30-9 record in the confines of Lundholm Gymnasium, dating back to the start of the 2013 season. Additionally, the Wildcats are 34-9 when hosting America East teams since 2011.

AMERICA EAST DOMINANCE: Through the league slate, the Wildcats prevailed in 11 contests while only conceding one. UNH did not face a fifth set in conference play while sweeping 9 of 12 America East matches. New Hampshire led the America East in hitting percentage (.251), opponent hitting percentage (.115) and service aces (86). Severtson paced all conference players in assists per set (11.26) and aces (27). In kills per set, the Wildcats were the only team in the league with three players who rank top-10 -Muses (3.06; fifth), Brinkman (3.03; sixth) and Forrest (2.97; seventh).

DM THIS: Demi Muses can factor in the match in a myriad of ways. The America East co-Player of the Year leads the team in points (358.0) and blocks (71), and she ranks second kills per set (2.89), hitting percentage (.279), digs per set (3.00) and service aces (31). She has compiled eight double-double performances this season, which is second best on the Wildcats. In the title match against UAlbany, Muses scooped up a career-high 23 digs.

SETTING UP FOR THE KEEL: Keelin Severtson entered the postseason leading America East and third among Division I players with 0.53 aces per set. The league's Setter of the Year emerged as the conference leader in assists per set (9.74) to arm the conference's top offense for the third consecutive season with a .203 attack percentage and a .251 clip in league tilts. Severtson also contributes to the offense with 55 service aces and 40 kills on a .211 hitting percentage. On the defensive side of the ball, she has tallied 1.94 per set, which ranks fourth on the team. She dished out a career-high 60 helpers in the championship match against the Great Danes. Her 1,206 assists this year is fifth best by a Wildcat in a single-season.

DEFORESTATION: Senior outside hitter Tori Forrest joined Muses and Severtson on the All-Conference First Team; she has received that accolade three times in as many years. Forrest has racked up a career-high 12 double-doubles this season, chalking up a team-high 2.94 kills per set and 2.86 digs per set, which ranks third. The three-time co-captain leads the team in kills (285) and ranks third in service aces (28). In defensive stats, Forrest is second in digs (277). One of her 12 double-doubles came in the title match vs. UAlbany with 24 kills and 14 digs.

THE LIL' ONE: Senior defensive specialist Madison Lightfoot, an All-Conference Second Team selection who was also voted Fans' Choice Player of the Year, has powered the Wildcats to the league's best opponent hitting percentage with team highs in digs (426) and digs per set (4.30). The senior co-captain merited a spot on the All-Championship for the second straight year by shoveling out 53 attacks in the two matches. She is also one of six 'Cats who has tallied double digits in service aces with 16. Lightfoot recorded a season-high 31 digs against Binghamton in the semifinal to help hold the Bearcats to a .154 hitting percentage. She had 20-plus digs in seven matches this season.

PUSH IT TO THE BRINK: Senior outside hitter Abby Brinkman continues her strong play in her final season with the 'Cats. Entering the tournament, she ranks third on the team with 2.29 kills per set. Against Binghamton in the conference semifinals, the two-time Capital One CoSIDA Division I Volleyball Academic All-District honoree notched a team-high 14 kills to pace UNH offensively in the win. Brinkman has tallied 10 or more kills in eight matches this season with seven of them against conference opponents. She has played in all 29 matches and started in 28 of them.

THE VIKING: Senior middle blocker Cassidy Croci has put forth another strong season appearing in all 29 matches with 26 starts. She paces the 'Cats in hitting percentage (.296), second in blocks per set (0.70) and fourth in kills per set (2.01). Against Binghamton in the America East semifinals, she eclipsed double digit kills with 11 while hitting .280. The 6-foot middle blocker was instrumental in the final weekend of play that helped UNH clinch home court advantage. In the last two matches of the conference slate, Croci paced the offense by slamming 20 kills to average 2.86 kills per set. She unleashed a .333 hitting percentage for 11 kills while racking up five blocks against Stony Brook University in a four-set win. She chipped in nine kills on the strength of a .438 attack percentage in the straight set win at UMBC to conclude the regular season.

LIGHTFOOT BECOMES ALL-TIME DIGS LEADER: With the Wildcats' victory over Buffalo on Sept. 20, Madison 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 1,649 digs and counting in her illustrious career. The two-time America East All-Conference Second Team honoree 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: Tori Forrest continues to ascend the UNH all-time kills chart, ranking fifth with 1,257. The three-time America East First Team honoree 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. She also eclipsed the 1,000-dig plateau against UAlbany on Nov. 1, becoming the 10th member to hit quadruple digits. is just the third player in program history to register 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

HIRSCHINGER BY THE NUMBERS: Head coach Jill 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.

SMART 'CATS: UNH earned the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for the fourth consecutive season, the organization announced in August. New Hampshire finished the 2014-15 year with a cumulative GPA of 3.40. The Wildcats were one of 146 NCAA Division I teams to be recognized for the award, a new record for the AVCA. The GPA helped propel the Wildcats to claim a share of the league's Academic Cup with the University of Hartford.

WELCOME BACK TO THE SUNSHINE STATE: Junior setter Keelin Severtson will play her first-ever collegiate game in her home state of Florida. Her hometown is in Delray Beach, Fla.

A WIN THURSDAY WOULD: The winner of Thursday's match will face the winner of the Florida State University and Arizona State University match Friday, Dec. 4 (7 p.m.) at Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

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