Homestand Continues Oct. 20 vs. UMass Lowell

Friday, Oct. 20 • 7 pm • Lundholm Gym • Durham, N.H.
UMass Lowell (5-14, 0-6 America East) at UNH (9-11, 4-2 America East)
Video • Stats

UNH vs. UMASS LOWELL

UNH has won all 10 lifetime meetings against UMass Lowell and that includes nine matches since the River Hawks elevated to D-I and joined America East in 2013.
Sept. 22, 2017 • Costello Center • UNH 3, UMass Lowell 2 • Recap • Box
The Wildcats had to overcome 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. UNH won Set 4 (25-22) and Set 5 (15-10) for the come-from-behind victory.
Kennedi Smith recorded a career-high 21 kills and 10 digs.
Emma Patlovich also tallied a double-double with 35 assists and 10 digs.
The Wildcats have won in straight sets 7 of 9 times as D-I foes, and that includes the most recent meeting in Durham on Nov. 4, 2016 (25-14, 25-16, 25-21).

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK

New Hampshire split a pair of home matches last week with a 3-2 loss to UMBC and straight-set victory against the University of Hartford.
Oct. 13 vs. UMBC (25-21, 19-25, 27-25, 23-25, 15-12) Recap • Box
New Hampshire had an impressive .238 hitting percentage in Set 5, but the visitors were even more impressive at .429 with 10 kills and just one error on 21 attacks.
Oct. 14 vs. Hartford (25-11, 25-21, 25-18) Recap • Box

UNH utilized a balanced attack and recorded a .292 hitting percentage as well as 10 service aces. The Wildcats also limited Hartford to a .125 hitting percentage that included .000 in Set 1.

'CAT NIPS

In the five-set match vs. UMBC, Logan Welti recorded a career-high 34 digs; it marked the highest total by a UNH Wildcat since November 2013 (Madison Lightfoot, 39 vs. Binghamton).
Mali Jereczek finished the match against UMBC with a career-high six service aces – the highest total by a UNH Wildcat since September 2007 (Alyse Lahti vs. Holy Cross).
In that match, Jereczek also tallied 21 assists and 11 digs for her fourth double-double of the season.
In the match against Hartford, Jereczek tallied a team-high 19 assists and quarterbacked UNH to a season-best .292 hitting percentage.
Kennedi Smith finished with 11 kills and 11 digs against UMBC for her team-leading eighth double-double of the year.
Gabri Olhava recorded 21 kills and just three errors on 40 swings for a .450 hitting percentage in two conference matches last week. She had seven kills and no errors for a .636 hitting percentage vs. Hartford.
Emma Patlovich tallied a match- and career-high four service aces against Hartford.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

UNH enters Friday's matchup with a 9-11 overall record that includes 6-1 at home and 4-2 in America East (2-1 in conference home matches).
New Hampshire has a 7-2 record the past nine matches.
UNH is averaging 11.6 kills per set on a .177 attack percentage while the opposition is at 12.1 kills/set at a .205 clip.
UNH Volleyball web page

HOME SWEET HOME

New Hampshire is 5-1 at Lundholm Gym this season; the Wildcats 13-match home win streak ended last Friday (Oct. 13) in a 3-2 loss to UMBC.
UNH has won three of its home matches in straight sets – vs. Bryant, Siena, Dartmouth; the other three matches went five sets with victories against Rhode Island and Stony Brook.
Last week's loss to the Retrievers also ended the Wildcats' streak of 11 consecutive home wins vs. America East foes.

PUT ME IN, COACH

Junior middle blocker and captain Gabri Olhava is the only Wildcat who has played all 78 sets in 20 matches.
Sophomore defensive specialist Logan Welti has seen action in 77 of 78 sets.

FILLING THE STAT SHEET

Sophomore outside hitter Kennedi Smith has eight double-doubles this season; the rest of the Wildcats have combined for eight double-doubles.
Smith is UNH's leader in kills (229) and kills per set (3.32), as well as points/set (3.34); she is tied for the top spot in points (260) and ranks third in both digs (171) and blocks (22).
Smith has led the team (or tied for the team lead) in kills 13 of 20 matches, including eight consecutive matches spanning Aug. 26 – Sept. 12.
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).

BLOCK PARTY

Gabri Olhava has a team-best 55 blocks (14 solo, 41 assisted).
She has led the team (or tied for the team lead) in blocks 12 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 (29), is tied for the lead in points (260), and ranks second in kills (197), kills/set (2.53) and points/set (3.34).

SMOKING ACES

Gabri Olhava has a team-high 29 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).

DIG THIS

Logan Welti has a team-high 334 digs and is averaging 4.34 per set.
She has led UNH in digs in 14 of 20 matches, including a career-high 34 vs. UMBC on Oct. 13.
Welti has tallied 20+ digs six times, including four of the past six matches, and she has three other matches with 19 digs.

GIVING ASSISTANCE

Emma Patlovich is UNH's leader in assists, with 420, and assists/set (6.46).
She has been UNH's top 'Cat in assists in 14 of 20 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 and matched that vs. Hartford.
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 second-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 tallied three service aces and three blocks, as well as 29 assists.
In 65 sets, Jereczek has amassed 324 assists for an average of 4.98 per set.
Jereczek has led the 'Cats in assists four of the past five matches and in service aces three of the last four matches.

CONFERENCE CALL

UNH leads America East in service aces with 133 and in service aces per set at 1.71.
New Hampshire ranks second in both digs (1,052) and digs per set (15.03).
Kennedi Smith is second in points per set (3.78), third in kills (229) and fourth in kills/set (3.32) and points (260).
Gabri Olhava is second in hitting percentage (.274) and service aces (29), fourth in points (260), fifth in aces/set (0.37), seventh in points/set (3.34), and ninth in kills/set (2.53).
Logan Welti is second in digs (334) and fifth in digs/set (4.34).
Emma Patlovich is sixth in both assists/set (6.46) and service aces per set (0.34).
Mali Jereczek is third in service aces/set (0.38).
Senior outside hitter and captain Courtney Bowman ranks 10th in digs per set (2.79).

ANOTHER CONFERENCE CALL

Through six America East conference matches, UNH's leaders are Kennedi Smith in kills/set (3.26), Gabri Olhava in hitting percentage (.297), Mali Jereczek in assists/set (6.42), Logan Welti in digs/set (4.56) and Molly Wotton in blocks (20).

SET-BY-SET

UNH has won the first set half of the 20 matches this season; the Wildcats have won the second set 11 times.
The opposition has won Set 3 12 times.
UNH is 4-8 in Set 4, and the Wildcats are 4-2 in the decisive fifth set.
The 'Cats have a 5-3 record in matches decided by three sets; 0-6 in four-set matches; 4-2 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 764 career wins, 355 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 RIVER HAWKS

UMass Lowell enters the weekend with a 5-14 overall record that includes 0-6 in America East and 0-6 on the road; the River Hawks are 0-2 in conference road matches.
UMass Lowell, which has lost five straight matches, is coming off last Sunday's 3-0 home loss to UMBC. The set scores were 25-23, 25-18, 25-20.
UMass Lowell is averaging 11.6 kills per set on a .133 hitting percentage, while the opposition is at 11.6 kills/set with a .198 hitting percentage.

Katherine Claybaugh (217), and Madi Bell (143), have eclipsed above 100 kills this season. Claybaugh is an averaging a team high 3.39 kills/set but sophomore McKenna Bova has the highest hitting percentage of .204.
Lindsey Visvardis has a team-high 312 digs and average digs per set of 4.52.
Delaney Mendez and Bova have split the setting duties. Mendez has 386 assists (6.77/set) and Bova has 280 assists (5.60/set)
Visvardis is atop the service aces leaderboard with 19.

Lade Adeniyi leads the River Hawks in blocks with 46, and is followed by Ariel Dulaney (31), Grace Burkett (26) and Madi Bell (25).

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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