Single-Match Weekend at UMass Lowell on Friday

Friday, October 19

Lowell, MA

7 PM

University of New Hampshire

University of Massachusetts Lowell

10/18/2018 3:03:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Video Stats

Friday, October 19 • 7 pm • Costello Athletic Center • Lowell, Mass.
UNH (8-12, 4-2 AE) at UMass Lowell (3-17, 1-5 AE) • Video • Stats

FRIDAY NIGHT WHITES // SUNDAY BLUES

Fans are encouraged to wear white every Friday home match in 2018: Nov. 2 vs. Binghamton.
Fans are encouraged to Bleed Blue (wear blue) for Sunday home matches in 2018: Nov. 4 vs. UMBC.

UNH vs. UMASS LOWELL

New Hampshire has a perfect 12-0 lifetime record against UMass Lowell and that includes all 10 matches since the River Hawks elevated to D-I and joined America East in 2013.
The Wildcats defeated the River Hawks in straight sets earlier this year on Sept. 21 at Lundholm Gymnasium. The set scores were 25-14, 25-17, 25-11. • Recap • Box
- Maddie Wiedenfeld recorded a match high 11 kills on 18 attacks, leading to a .556 hitting percentage. Emily Tanski, the liebero, contributed both offensively and defensively by recording three service aces and nine digs.
- The Wildcats fell behind 8-2 to start the first set, but rallied to get seven consecutive points and take the lead. Leading 15-13, UNH went on a 9-0 run to decisively win the set, and the Wildcats continued that momentum to win the last two sets by a sizable margin.
The last meeting in Lowell was Sept 22 2017, when the Wildcats overcame a pair of one-set deficits to prevail 3-2. • Recap • Box
- Kennedi Smith recorded a match- and career-high 21 kills with a .269 hitting percentage, as well as 10 digs. Emma Patlovich also had a double-double with 35 assists and 10 digs.
New Hampshire has won the last eight sets against the River Hawks.

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

UNH's next home match is Friday, Nov. 2 against Binghamton (7 p.m.)
Tickets for all home matches are available at unhwildcats.com, the box office or by calling (603) 862-4000, as well as game day at the box office.

SHOP UNH

Check out UNHShop.com for the latest in official UNH Wildcats' merchandise.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED

New Hampshire was defeated 3-2 at home in a very close match against the Albany Great Danes on Oct. 14. The set scores were 25-23, 19-25, 25-15, 26-28, 18-16. • Recap • Box
Maddie Wiedenfeld finished with a match-high 20 kills on a .298 hitting percentage; it was one less than her season high of 21 established Sept. 1 vs. Iona College.
Kennedi Smith tallied 14 kills and 18 digs for her third consecutive double-double.
Emma Patlovich finished with a career-high 58 assists.
Molly Wotton had a personal best of 14 kills on a .343 hitting percentage.
Gabri Olhava recorded five blocks for the third consecutive match; she also had eight kills.
UNH fought off a total of three match points. Albany fended off a pair of match points.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE • schedule • stats • news • roster

UNH enters Friday's matchup with an 8-12 overall record that includes 4-2 in America East and 4-3 on the road.
Friday is the beginning of a three-match road trip for the Wildcats. The team travels to Stony Brook on the 26^th and then Hartford on the 28^th.
New Hampshire is 3-2 the past five matches (all in conference play).
The Wildcats are one year removed from a stretch of four consecutive America East regular-season and tournament titles – as well as four straight NCAA tourney appearances. Head coach Jill Hirschinger, a six-time America East Coach of the Year, looks to lead the Wildcats back to the top in 2018.
UNH was picked second in the 2018 America East Volleyball Preseason Poll.

SET-BY-SET BREAKDOWN

UNH has a 3-2 record in three-set matches, 3-8 in four-set matches and 2-2 in five-set matches.
UNH has won Set 1 in 9 of 20 matches and has the edge in Set 3 (12-8). Opponents have won Set 2 in 13 of 20 matches and Set 4 in 9 of 15 matches. The fifth set is tied 2-2.

DOUBLING UP

Kennedi Smith recorded a double-double (14k, 18d) against Albany to bring her season total to 10. She tallied 15 kills, 16 digs the previous match at Binghamton and 11 kills, 15 digs before that at UMBC.
Smith has more double-doubles than the rest of her teammates combined.
Emma Patlovich recorded her sixth double-double of the season with 37 assists and 10 digs vs. Princeton on Sept. 14.
Hannah Petke has recorded two double-doubles. She finished with 11 kills and 11 digs at UConn (Aug. 31), and tallied 10 kills with 10 digs vs. Stony Brook (Sept. 30).
Mali Jereczek tallied her only double-double of the year vs. Stony Brook with 34 assists and 10 digs.

PUT ME IN, COACH

Three Wildcats enter the weekend having played all 79 sets this season – Gabri Olhava, Emily Tanski and Logan Welti.
Kennedi Smith and Maddie Wiedenfeld have played in 78 of 79 sets. Emma Patlovich has seen action in 74 of 79.
Those are the six players who have played all 20 matches.

'CATS ON THE ATTACK

Gabri Olhava, a second-year captain, leads UNH in kills (245), kills/set (3.10), hitting percentage (.283), points (284), points/set (3.59), blocks (53) and blocks/set (0.67).
Maddie Wiedenfeld ranks second in kills (210), kills/set (2.69), hitting percentage (.230), points (236) and points/set (3.03), blocks (49) and blocks/set (0.63).
Kennedi Smith is third in kills (185) with an average of 2.37 kills per set; she has a team-high 664 attacks. Smith is also second in digs (251) and digs/set (3.22).

READY TO ASSIST

Emma Patlovich was UNH's primary setter through 17 matches, but split time with Mali Jereczek the weekend of Oct. 5-7. In that weekend, Patlovich tallied 49 assists for an average of 7.00 per set while Jereczek had 29 assists for an average of 4.14 per set.
With Jereczek sidelined the Oct. 14 match against Albany, Patlovich tallied a career high of 58 assists; her previous high was 49 vs. Iona College earlier this year.
For the season, Patlovich has a team-high 683 assists for an average of 9.23 per set. She is also third on the squad in service aces with 18.
Patlovich has recorded 40+ assists eight times, including a stretch of five consecutive matches spanning Sept. 1-8. That streak began with 49 vs. Iona (Sept. 1). She followed that with 47 at Bryant, 43 against both URI and Yale, and 42 vs. Army.
Jereczek recorded a season-high 34 assists Sept. 30 against Stony Brook. She has 125 assists (3.12 per set).

MAKING A DEFENSIVE STAND

Emily Tanski, a junior who was All-Conference First Team in 2016, has transitioned from the front line to the back row this season and has become the Wildcats' primary libero.
Tanski has been named America East Defensive Specialist of the Week three times this year, including each of the first two weeks.
She has amassed 393 digs –142 more than the closest teammate (Kennedi Smith, 251) – for an average of 4.97 digs per set.

SERVING IT UP

Logan Welti is UNH's leader with 23 service aces. Emily Tanski (20) and Emma Patlovich (18) are next.
Welti has recorded multiple aces in a match seven times, including a high of four vs. Iona College (Sept. 1).
Tanski established a season high of three aces vs. UMass Lowell (Sept. 21) and matched that last Sunday against Albany.

CONFERENCE CALL

New Hampshire is atop the America East leaderboard in both service aces (1.27 per set) and digs (16.15 per set); the Wildcats also rank second in kills (12.51/set) and assists (11.78/set).
Gabri Olhava is No. 4 in both kills/set (3.10), points/set (3.59) and hitting percentage (.283).
Emily Tanski ranks second in digs per set (4.97) and sixth in aces per set (0.25).
Logan Welti is third in aces per set (0.29).
Emma Patlovich is No. 3 in assists per set (9.23) and is No. 7 in aces/set (0.24).
Kennedi Smith is No. 8 in digs/set (3.22).
Maddie Wiedenfeld is No. 10 in kills/set (2.69).

CONFERENCE PLAY

In six America East matches, Gabri Olhava is averaging 3.53 kills per set on a .283 hitting percentage, as well as 0.86 blocks/set.
Kennedi Smith (2.55 kills/set), Hannah Petke (2.57 kills/set) and Maddie Wiedenfeld (2.41 kills/set) have been the other top threats on attack.
The setting duties have been split by Emma Patlovich (8.78 assists/set in 18 sets) and Mali Jereczek (5.71 assists per set in 14 sets).
Emily Tanski is averaging a team-high 4.32 digs per set. She is followed by Kennedi Smith (3.55).

HIRSCHINGER'S HISTORY

Jill Hirschinger began her UNH tenure in the 1996 season. She has amassed a 367-325 record with 10 seasons of 20+ wins.
Hirschinger has been named America East Coach of the Year six times.

SCOUTING UMASS LOWELL • website

The River Hawks enter Friday's matchup with a 3-17 record and are 1-5 against America East opponents, as well as 1-3 at home.
UMass Lowell has won two of its last three matches with victories at UMBC (3-2) on Oct. 7 and vs. Siena College (3-1) last Sunday.
The team started conference play 0-4 and lost all four matches in straight sets.
UMass Lowell's offense is led by Madi Bell with 170.5 points, averaging 2.54 per set. Bell also leads the team in kills (146) and kills per set (2.18). Against UNH, she had a team-high seven kills, six digs and two service aces.
Kate Bilyeu (131 kills; 1.98/set) and Lade Adeniyi (126 kills; 1.97/set) are two of the other top weapons.
Adeniyi has a team-high 42 blocks. Jessica Jubb (30) and Grace Burkett (28) are next on that list.
Two setters direct the attack. McKenna Bova and Malia Rudolph have 347 and 284 assists, respectively.
On defense, Lindsey Visvardis leads the team in digs with 261 (3.68/set).

2018 AMERICA EAST AWARDS