UMBC and Hartford Come to Town This Weekend

Friday, Oct. 13 • 7 pm • Lundholm Gym • Durham, N.H.
UMBC (10-7, 2-1 America East) at UNH (8-10, 3-1 America East)
Video • Stats

Saturday, Oct. 14 • 4 pm • Lundholm Gym • Durham, N.H.
Hartford (4-10, 1-3 America East) at UNH (8-10, 3-1 America East)
Video • Stats

SMITH NAMED AMERICA EAST PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Sophomore outside hitter Kennedi Smith was honored as America East Player of the Week this past Tuesday.
Smith recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 18 kills and 17 digs to lead UNH to a five-set victory against Stony Brook on Oct. 6; she also matched her career high of four blocks.
The 18 kills and 17 digs both marked her second-best totals of the season, as did her .317 hitting percentage.
For the match, Smith averaged 3.6 kills per set, 3.4 digs per set and 0.8 blocks per set.
She had a particularly strong opening set with five kills, .714 hitting percentage and six digs.

UNH vs. UMBC

UNH has a 20-9 lifetime record against UMBC with an 11-match win streak in the series.
Last year, the Wildcats won at home in straight sets: 25-19, 25-18 25-14.
Sept. 30, 2016: at UNH 3, UMBC 0 • Recap • Box
The 'Cats also won the rematch in Baltimore, 3-1: 25-16, 27-29, 25-16, 25-20.
Oct. 30, 2016: UNH 3, at UMBC 1 • Recap • Box
The Retrievers' most recent win vs. the 'Cats was Oct. 4, 2011 (3-0) at the RAC.
New Hampshire has won each of its last seven home matches since UMBC's five-set victory Oct. 16, 2010.

UNH vs. HARTFORD

UNH has a 41-3 lifetime record against Hartford with nine consecutive wins in the series vs. the Hawks.
Last year, the Wildcats prevailed in straight sets at Lundholm Gym by set scores of 25-10, 25-12, 25-21. Recap • Box
Earlier in the 2016 season, the 'Cats won on the road in four sets: 21-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-21. Recap • Box
Hartford's most recent win against New Hampshire was Oct. 13, 2012; that was a five-set match at Hartford.
UNH has won 20 consecutive home matches in this series dating back to the Hawks' sweep in Durham in 1996.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK

New Hampshire dropped the second and third sets and was two points away from losing the match, but the Wildcats rallied to win Sets 4 & 5 to record the comeback victory against Stony Brook University at Lundholm Gym last Friday.
The set scores were 25-18, 23-25, 24-26, 25-23, 15-11. Recap • Box
UNH recorded match highs in both digs (90) and total attacks (186), and the 12 blocks matched the season high.
The Wildcats recorded a .323 hitting percentage on the decisive fifth set with 11 kills and just one error on 31 attacks.
Trailing 23-22 in the fourth set, UNH won three consecutive points (all on Stony Brook errors) to force Set 5.

'CAT NIPS

In addition to Smith, junior setter Mali Jereczek (Green Bay, Wis.) recorded a double-double – her third of the season – against Stony Brook with 34 assists and 15 digs. The 15 digs matched a personal best and she also had a career-high four service aces.
Senior middle blocker Molly Wotton recorded a team-high five blocks against the Seawolves. Wotton has a total of 12 blocks the past two matches and she has been the top 'Cat in blocks each of the past four matches.
Sophomore right-side hitter Hannah Petke tallied double-digit kills for the third consecutive match with 12 vs. SBU. Petke also equaled her season high of three blocks.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

UNH enters Friday's matchup with an 8-10 overall record that includes 3-1 in America East and 5-0 at home; that includes 1-0 in conference home matches.
New Hampshire has won six of the last seven matches.
UNH is averaging 11.6 kills per set on a .170 attack percentage while the opposition is at 12.3 kills/set at a .207 clip.
UNH Volleyball web page

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

UNH is 6-1 the past seven matches – including 4-0 in five-set matches – with a .208 hitting percentage, 1.67 blocks per set and 15.23 digs per set.
Kennedi Smith has elevated her game the past seven matches with 3.64 kills per set on a .243 hitting percentage; she is also averaging 2.84 digs/set and 0.48 blocks/set.
Gabri Olhava is averaging 2.70 kills/set with a .324 hitting percentage; her other numbers include 10 service aces, 19 digs and 20 blocks.
Hannah Petke has emerged as a weapon during this run; she is averaging 2.00 kills/set with a .220 hitting percentage.
Molly Wotton has a team-high 22 blocks the past seven matches.
Mali Jereczek has stepped up her game with a team-high 11 service aces the past seven matches; she has also averaged 6.21 assists per set.

HOME SWEET HOME

New Hampshire is 5-0 at Lundholm Gym this season and the Wildcats have won 13 consecutive home matches.
All eight victories from the 2016 season as part of this home win streak were against America East teams.
UNH has won three of its five home matches in straight sets – vs. Bryant, Siena, Dartmouth; the other two have been five-set victories against Rhode Island and Stony Brook.
The last visiting team to leave Durham with a win was Northeastern University, 3-1, on Sept. 20, 2016.
The Wildcats have won 11 consecutive home matches vs. America East foes, and that includes four postseason victories.
UNH's most recent conference loss in Lundholm Gym was Nov. 1, 2015 (3-0 to UAlbany).

PUT ME IN, COACH

Junior middle blocker and captain Gabri Olhava is the only Wildcat who has played all 70 sets in 18 matches.
Sophomore defensive specialist Logan Welti has seen action in 69 of 70 sets.

FILLING THE STAT SHEET

Sophomore outside hitter Kennedi Smith has seven double-doubles this season; the rest of the Wildcats have seven double-doubles.
Smith recorded a double-double three consecutive matches spanning Sept. 16-22; she had another double-double earlier that week for a stretch of four double-doubles in five matches.
In the week of Sept. 12-16, Smith tallied 15 kills and a career-high 17 digs at Northeastern (Sept. 12), then surpassed that number with 18 digs and 11 kills vs. URI (Sept. 16); she recorded 17 kills and 13 digs against Dartmouth College (Sept. 16). Smith followed that with a career-high 21 kills and 10 digs at UMass Lowell (Sept. 22).
Smith is UNH's leader in kills (208) and kills per set (3.41), as well as points/set (3.86); she is tied for the top spot in points (235) and ranks third in both digs (157) and blocks (20).
Smith has led the team (or tied for the team lead) in kills 12 of 18 matches, including eight consecutive matches spanning Aug. 26 – Sept. 12.

BLOCK PARTY

Gabri Olhava has a team-best 51 blocks (13 solo, 38 assisted).
She has led the team (or tied for the team lead) in blocks 11 times this season.
Olhava recorded a career high of 10 blocks at Fairfield on Sept. 9; the previous time a Wildcat reached double digits in blocks was Oct. 19, 2014 (Demi Muses, 11, at Hartford); Cassidy Croci also had 11 blocks Aug. 30, 2014.
In other stats, Olhava is the leader in service aces (27), is tied for the lead in points (235), and ranks second in kills (176), kills/set (2.51) and points/set (3.36).

SMOKING ACES

Gabri Olhava has a team-high 27 service aces, and she has also led – or tied for the lead – in aces nine times.
She recorded five aces at Northeastern (Sept. 12); that total is tied for the most by a Wildcat this season (established by Kennedi Smith at St. John's and matched by Hannah Petke at UAlbany).
Olhava recorded three aces in 2 of 3 matches at the Michigan Tournament. (against Wisconsin Green Bay and Butler); she also aced the opposition three times in matches vs. Dartmouth and Stony Brook.

DIG THIS

Logan Welti has a team-high 289 digs and is averaging 4.19 per set.
She has led UNH in digs in 12 of 18 matches, including a career-high 22 at UAlbany on Sept. 29.
Welti has tallied 20+ digs five times, including three of the past four matches, and she has three other matches with 19 digs.

GIVING ASSISTANCE

Emma Patlovich is UNH's leader in assists, with 389, and assists/set (6.71).
She has been UNH's top 'Cat in assists in 13 of 18 matches with 30-plus assists five times, including a career high 36 against Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Patlovich was a DNP for both matches on the Empire State road trip (Sept. 29 & Oct. 1).
She has two double-doubles with a 24-assist, 12-dig effort vs. Butler (at Michigan) and a 35-assist, 10-dig performance at UMass Lowell.
Patlovich's highlights include 35 assists, three kills, two service aces and six digs at Northeastern; she recorded a personal-best four aces at Fairfield.
Mali Jereczek stepped into the starting role the Sept. 29-Oct. 1 weekend. She did so very admirably at UAlbany with a career-high 49 assists that quarterbacked the 'Cats to their highest hitting percentage of the season (.259). She also tallied a personal-best 15 digs to record her second career double-double.
Jereczek followed that with a career-high six kills (and .750 hitting percentage) at Binghamton. She also matched her personal best of three service aces and also had three blocks, as well as 29 assists.
In 57 sets, Jereczek has amassed 250 assists for an average of 4.81 per set.
Jereczek has led the 'Cats in both assists and service aces the past two matches.

CONFERENCE CALL

UNH leads America East in service aces with 113; the Wildcats rank second in aces per set (1.61).
New Hampshire ranks second in both digs (1,052) and digs per set (15.03).
Kennedi Smith is No. 2 in points per set (3.86) and kills per set (3.41).
Gabri Olhava is second in service aces (27) and is fourth in aces/set (0.39). She is also third in points (235), sixth in points/set (3.36), fourth in hitting percentage (.257) and ninth in kills per set (.2.51).
Logan Welti is No. 4 in digs per set (4.19).
Emma Patlovich is sixth in assists per set (6.71) and eighth in service aces per set (0.29).
Mali Jereczek has climbed to No. 7 in aces per set (0.30).
Senior outside hitter and captain Courtney Bowman ranks eighth in digs per set (2.98).

ANOTHER CONFERENCE CALL

In four America East conference matches, UNH's leaders are Kennedi Smith in kills/set (3.60) and hitting percentage (.271), Mali Jereczek in assists/set (7.06), Logan Welti in digs/set (4.11) and Molly Wotton in blocks (17).

SET-BY-SET

UNH has won the first set half of the 18 matches this season; the Wildcats have also won the second set nine times.
The opposition has won Set 3 11 times.
UNH is 3-8 in Set 4, but the Wildcats are 4-1 in the decisive fifth set.
The 'Cats have a 4-3 record in matches decided by three sets; 0-6 in four-set matches; 4-1 in five-set matches.

HIRSCHINGER'S HISTORY

This is the 22^nd year as UNH head coach for Jill Hirschinger. She recorded her 750^th career victory when the Wildcats prevailed 3-1 at UMBC last October.
Of her 763 career wins, 354 have been at UNH's helm.
Hirschinger's 350^th win at UNH was a five-set victory against Rhode Island at the Holly Young Invitational on Sept. 16.
Hirschinger has been named America East Coach of the Year six times.

SCOUTING THE RETRIEVERS

UMBC (Baltimore, Md.) enters Friday's matchup with a 10-4 overall record that includes 2-1 in America East and 4-3 on the road; the Retrievers are 1-1 in conference road matches.
UMBC is 5-1 the past six matches and is coming off last weekend's 3-1 home win against Binghamton University.
The Retrievers are averaging 12.08 kills per set on a .186 hitting percentage; those numbers improve to 13.60 and .209 in conference action.
Carmen Freeman, the reigning America East co-Rookie of the Week, leads the team in kills with 170 (3.04/set). She also has a team-best 12 service aces.
Ashley Ramos is next with 122 kills (2.30/set).
Krystia Negron averages 10.20 assists per set.
Franchesca Reed has a team-high 54 total blocks (1.10 per set).
Kristin Watson is at 5.36 digs per set.

SCOUTING THE HAWKS

The University of Hartford (Hartford, Conn.) enters the weekend with a 4-13 overall record that includes 1-3 in America East and 0-4 on the road; the Hawks are 0-1 in conference road matches.
Hartford plays at UMass Lowell on Friday before battling UNH on Saturday.
Hartford is coming off last Sunday's five-set home win against Binghamton.
The host Hawks trailed 2-1 in the match before winning Set 4 (25-15) and Set 5 (15-12) to capture the victory.
Hartford is averaging 10.8 kills per set on a .165 hitting percentage, while the opposition is a 12.9 kills/set with a .219 hitting percentage.
Katy Henchy (131), Abby Nash (126) and Paulina Modestow (111) have eclipsed 100 kills this season. Nash is averaging a team-high 2.25 kills per set but Henchy has the highest hitting percentage of the trio at .195.
Nash also has a team-high 129 digs; Nicole Etty has the highest average of 2.77 digs per set (83 overall).
Megan Anderson and Astrid Mangual Duran have split the setting duties. Anderson has 243 assists (5.52/set) and Mangual Duran is at 198 (4.60).
Jenna Bridges is atop the service aces leaderboard with 25.
Four Hawks have tallied 40+ blocks. Jenna Bridges leads the way with 50 and is followed by Brittany Braun (45), Henchy (41) and Alyse Wenzel (41).

2017 WILDCAT ACCOLADES

Jack Kaiser Classic All-Tournament Team (08/26) – Courtney Bowman
America East Rookie of the Week (08/29) – Emma Patlovich
Michigan Invitational All-Tournament Team (09/02) – Gabri Olhava
America East Defensive Specialist of the Week (09/12) – Logan Welti
Holly Young Invitational All-Tournament Team (09/16) – Gabri Olhava
Holly Young Invitational All-Tournament Team (09/16) – Emma Patlovich
Holly Young Invitational All-Tournament Team (09/16) – Kennedi Smith
America East Player of the Week (09/19) – Gabri Olhava
America East Player of the Week (10/10) – Kennedi Smith

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