On the Road to Stony Brook (Nov. 5)

Sunday, Nov. 5 • 1 pm • Pritchard Gym • Stony Brook, N.Y.
UNH (10-13, 5-4 America East) at Stony Brook (15-9, 5-3 America East)
Video • Stats

UNH vs. STONY BROOK

New Hampshire has a 23-14 lifetime record against Stony Brook with nine consecutive wins in the series.
Back on Oct. 6 at Lundholm Gym, the Wildcats overcame a 2-1 deficit to record a five-set victory against the Seawolves. The set scores were 25-18, 23-25, 24-26, 25-23, 15-11. • Recap • Box
Sophomore outside hitter Kennedi Smith (The Woodlands, Texas) recorded a double-double with 18 kills and 17 digs.
Junior setter Mali Jereczek (Green Bay, Wis.) also tallied a double-double with 34 assists and 15 digs; she also had four service aces.
Stony Brook was two points away from winning the match as the Seawolves had a 2-1 lead in sets and 23-22 edge in the fourth set, but three consecutive errors gave UNH the fourth set, 25-23, to level the match at two sets apiece.
The Wildcats recorded 11 kills and one attack error for a .323 hitting percentage in the decisive fifth set, whereas SBU tallied seven kills and three attack errors for a .160 hitting percentage in Set 5.
Last year at Pritchard Gym, the 'Cats prevailed 3-1; the set scores were 25-16, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22. Recap • Box
SBU's most recent win in the series was Oct. 4, 2013 (3-2 at home).

PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS

UNH is tied for fourth place in the America East standings with Binghamton at 5-4; the Bearcats hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with a 2-0 record vs. the Wildcats this season.
Stony Brook is tied for second in the standings with UMBC at 5-3.
The top four teams earn a berth in the conference tournament.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK

New Hampshire ended its six-match homestand last weekend with a 3-1 loss to Binghamton University (Oct. 27) and 3-0 loss to University at Albany (Oct. 29).
vs. Binghamton: 25-20, 25-22, 22-25, 25-17 • Recap • Box
vs. UAlbany: 25-16, 25-18, 25-23 • Recap • Box
With the score tied 18-18 in the second set, UAlbany reeled off seven consecutive points to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
New Hampshire honored its two seniors – Courtney Bowman (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) and Katie Rebrovich (Burleson, Texas).

'CAT NIPS

Sophomore outside hitter Emily Tanski (Plymouth, Mich.) recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 kills and 15 digs against Binghamton on Oct. 27.
Junior middle blocker and captain Gabri Olhava (Mount Prospect, Ill.) tallied six blocks and seven kills on a .278 hitting percentage vs. the Bearcats. Olhava followed that with 10 kills, a .444 hitting percentage and two service aces.
Sophomore right side hitter Hannah Petke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) recorded 11 kills on a .318 hitting percentage against UAlbany.
Sophomore Jenny Weston (Canton, Mass.) recorded a team-high 10 digs against the Great Danes; she was switched to libero in the third set.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

UNH enters Sunday's match with a 10-13 overall record that includes 2-5 on the road and 5-4 in America East (2-1 in conference road matches).
The Wildcats close the regular season with three road matches. Following this weekend's trip to Stony Brook, the 'Cats travel to Hartford (Nov. 9) and UMBC (Nov. 12).
New Hampshire has a 6-4 record the past 10 matches.
UNH ended its six-match homestand with a 5-4 record.
The Wildats' most recent road match was Oct. 1 – a 3-1 loss at Binghamton.
UNH is averaging 11.8 kills per set on a .179 attack percentage while the opposition is at 12.1 kills/set at a .204 clip

PUT ME IN, COACH

Junior middle blocker and captain Gabri Olhava is the only Wildcat who has played all 88 sets in 23 matches.
Sophomore defensive specialist Logan Welti has seen action in 87 of 88 sets.

FILLING THE STAT SHEET

Sophomore outside hitter Kennedi Smith has eight double-doubles this season; the rest of the Wildcats have combined for nine double-doubles.
Smith is UNH's leader in kills (262) and kills per set (3.32), as well as points (301) and points per set (3.81). She is also third in both digs (2.48/set) and blocks (29), and is fourth in service aces (20).
Smith has led the team (or tied for the team lead) in kills 15 of 23 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 62 blocks (18 solo, 44 assisted.
She has led the team (or tied for the team lead) in blocks 13 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 (31), and she ranks second in kills (224) and kills/set (2.55) as well as points (282) and points/set (3.35).

SMOKING ACES

New Hampshire recorded 10 service aces four consecutive matches against Stony Brook, UMBC, Hartford and UMass Lowell (Oct. 6-20).
The Wildcats recorded a combined total of eight aces in two matches last weekend.
Gabri Olhava is atop the team leaderboard with 31 aces after recorded two last Sunday vs. UAlbany.
Mali Jereczek is second with 29. Jereczek recorded 15 service aces in a four-match span from Oct. 6-20. She served six aces against UMBC to mark the highest total by a 'Cat since September 2007 (Alyse Lahti vs. Holy Cross).
Olhava recorded five aces at Northeastern (Sept. 12); that total is tied for the second 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 362 digs and is averaging 4.16 per set.
She has led UNH in digs in 15 of 23 matches, including a career-high 34 vs. UMBC on Oct. 13. It marked the highest total by a UNH Wildcat since November 2013 (Madison Lightfoot, 39 vs. Binghamton
Welti has tallied 20+ digs six times and she has three other matches with 19 digs.

GIVING ASSISTANCE

Freshman setter Emma Patlovich (Lake Bluff, Ill.) is UNH's leader in assists, with 476, and assists/set (6.35).
She has been UNH's top 'Cat in assists in 16 of 23 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 third-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 75 sets, Jereczek has amassed 377 assists for an average of 5.03 per set.
Jereczek has led the 'Cats in assists five of the past eight matches and in service aces five of the last seven matches.

CONFERENCE CALL

UNH leads America East in service aces with 151 and in service aces per set at 1.72.
Kennedi Smith is second in kills (262) and kills/set (3.32) as well as points per set (3.81).
Gabri Olhava is third in hitting percentage (.284), fifth in service aces per set (0.35), ninth in kills/set (2.55)
Logan Welti is second in digs (362) and fifth in digs/set (4.16).
Emma Patlovich is seventh in both assists/set (6.35) and service aces per set (0.32).
Mali Jereczek is third in service aces/set (0.40) and ninth in assists/set (5.03).
Senior outside hitter and captain Courtney Bowman ranks ninth in digs per set (2.81).

ANOTHER CONFERENCE CALL

Through nine America East conference matches, UNH's leaders are Kennedi Smith in kills/set (3.27), Gabri Olhava in hitting percentage (.320), Mali Jereczek in assists/set (6.11), Logan Welti in digs/set (4.08) and Molly Wotton in blocks (23).

SET-BY-SET

UNH has won the first set 11 times in 23 matches; the Wildcats have won the second set 12 times.
The opposition has won Set 3 13 times.
UNH is 4-9 in Set 4, and the Wildcats are 4-2 in the decisive fifth set.
The 'Cats have a 6-4 record in matches decided by three sets; 0-7 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 765 career wins, 356 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 SEAWOLVES

Stony Brook (Stony Brook, N.Y.) enters the weekend with a 15-9 overall record that includes 5-3 in America East and 3-1 at home; the Seawolves are 2-0 in conference home matches.
The Seawolves play UMass Lowell on Friday (11/03) before they are set to play the Wildcats.
Stony Brook is coming off last Sunday's 3-1 win at Hartford. The set scores were 22-25, 25-7, 25-16, 25-22.
Stony Brook is averaging 12.8 kills per set on a .216 hitting percentage, while the opposition is at 12.8 kills/set with a .198 hitting percentage.
SBU leads America East in hitting percentage (.216), assists (12.08 per set) and digs (17.00 per set).
Emily Costello leads the Seawolves in kills with 246 and 2.65 kills/set, while McKyla Brooks follows behind with 232 and 2.51 kills/set.
Abby Hickey has the highest hitting percentage on the team with .400, with Brooks having the second highest with .315.
Kiani Kersetetter has a team-high 426 digs and averages 4.58 digs per set.
LeAnne Sakowicz leads Stony Brook in assists with 985 (10.59/set).
Costello sits atop the service aces leaderboard with 32.
Brooks leads the team in blocks with 78 and is followed by Cydney Bowman (71).

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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