Olhava, Smith Record 11 Kills Apiece in 3-0 Semifinal Loss to Albany

Friday, November 16

4 PM

University of New Hampshire

12-15

University at Albany

16-10

UNH

UAlbany

Photo by: Vincent Dejana

Olhava, Smith Record 11 Kills Apiece in 3-0 Semifinal Loss to Albany

11/16/2018 7:13:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Gabri Olhava (Mount Pleasant, Ill.) and Kennedi Smith (The Woodlands, Texas) recorded 11 kills apiece but the University of New Hampshire volleyball team was defeated 3-0 by the University at Albany in Friday afternoon's America East semifinal at Pritchard Gym.

The set scores were 25-22, 25-22, 25-20.

Olhava tallied her 11 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and had a team-high three blocks. Smith was also credited with 10 digs to record her team-leading 14th double-double of the season.

Emma Patlovich (Plymouth, Mich.) finished with 28 assists and Emily Tanski (Plymouth, Mich.) made 13 digs.

Albany was led by Akuabata Okenwa and Chloe Evering with 14 kills apiece. Okenwa also had three blocks.

UNH, the tourney No. 3 seed, ends the 2018 season with a 12-15 record. Second-seeded Albany improves to 16-10 and advances to Saturday's title game.

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SET 1

* There were four ties and one lead change in the first set, during which Albany recorded a .243 hitting percentage in comparison to New Hampshire's .128.

* UNH won five consecutive points to race out to a 6-1 lead.

* The Wildcats led by as many as six points (10-4, 11-5, 12-6) before the Great Danes rallied to tie the score, 14-14.

* A kill by Olhava put UNH back in front, but then Albany won back-to-back points to take its first lead of the match, 16-15.

* Olhava combined with Hannah Petke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) for a block to level the score at 16, but the Great Danes won the next four points.

* Trailing 23-20, UNH closed within one point on a kill by Smith and Great Danes' ball handling error.

* Albany called time out and won the next two points -- the last on a service ace -- to close out the first set, 25-23.

SET 2

* There were four ties and three lead changes in the second set. The 'Cats elevated their hitting percentage to .206, but so did the Great Danes to .323.

* Albany built an early 5-2 lead and pushed that advantage to 12-7.

* UNH called a timeout and Olhava's back-to-back kills ignited a 5-0 run, which included another kill by Olhava, to tie the score at 12.

* The Great Danes called time out and won seven of the next nine points to surge in front 19-14.

* The 'Cats called their last timeout of the set, then consecutive kills by Maddie Wiedenfeld (Omaha, Neb.) and Smith trimmed the deficit to 19-16. One point later, Smith recorded a kill and service ace as UNH pulled within 20-19.

* Albany responded with three straight points and New Hampshire got no closer than two points the rest of the set.

SET 3

* There were five ties and one lead change in the third set.

* UNH won the first two points on a kill by Alexa Markman (Chicago, Ill.) and Albany attack error.

* The Great Danes roared back to take a 6-2 lead that prompted the 'Cats to call a timeout.

* With UNH trailing 11-6, a kill by Emma Tupa (Brecksville, Ohio) sparked a 7-2 spurt; Tupa tallied to more kills, including the one that tied the score at 13, in that run.

* With the score deadlocked at 15, the Great Danes reeled off four consecutive points for a 19-15 lead.

* Trailing 22-17, Tupa's fourth kill of the set was followed by an Albany attack error to lift teh 'Cats within three points.

* Facing match point, 24-20, Markman hit through the block to extend the match, but Okenwa put the ball down on the next rally to end the set and match.

UNH NOTEBOOK

* The end of the 2018 season also marks the end of Wildcat careers for five seniors: Olhava, Markman (four kills, one ace, one dig), Mali Jereczek (Green Bay, Wis.), Sarah Shelton (Ellworth, Maine) and Molly Wotton (Dover, N.H.). Jereczek finished with six assists and one dig. Wotton had one kill and one block.

* Olhava finishes her Wildcat career with 860 kills and 274 blocks, the latter of which is tied for seventh on New Hampshire's career leaderboard.

* Tanski broke UNH's single-season digs record; she ended the 2018 season with 566 digs; the previous benchmark of 560 was shared by Madison Lightfoot and Jessie Schnepp.

* Tanski now has 1,082 career digs, which is No. 7 on the program's all-time list.

* Patlovich ended the season with 991 assists. On the career leaderboard, her 1,550 assists ranks eighth.

* Five Wildcats received America East all-conference accolades on the eve of the tourney. Smith was named to the First Team, Olhavan and Tanski were selected to the Second Team, Wiedenfeld was voted All-Rookie and Jereczek made the All-Academic Team.

TOURNEY NOTEBOOK

* UNH has a 17-10 lifetime record in the America East tournament with a 9-7 record in semifinals.

For the most up-to-date information on the volleyball team, visit UNHWildcats.com. For additional information on the UNH volleyball team, like the squad on Facebook or follow the 'Cats on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat @UNHVOLLEYBALL.