Valiant Comeback Falls Short in 5-Set Loss to Iona

Saturday, September 1

Storrs, CT

12 PM

University of New Hampshire

1-5

Iona College

2-3

Iona

New Hampshire

Emily Tanski Was Named to UConn Challenge All-Tournament Team

9/1/2018 3:44:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Wildcats erase 2-set deficit on final day of UConn Challenge

STORRS, Conn. – The University of New Hampshire volleyball team erased a two-set deficit and fought off nine match points, including seven in the fifth set, before succumbing to Iona College in a five-set thriller at Gampel Pavilion on Sunday in the Wildcats' final match at the 2018 UConn Challenge.

The Gaels outlasted the Wildcats 25-17, 25-23, 25-27, 22-25, 21-19 in the schools' first meeting since 2012.

UNH is now 1-5 on the season.

Box Score

WILDCAT LEADERBOARD
•Emily Tanski (Plymouth, Mich.) registered 35 digs and earned a berth on the All-Tournament Team.

•Gabri Olhava (Mount Prospect, Ill.) registered 16 kills and a .359 hitting percentage, and Maddie Wiedenfeld (Omaha, Neb.) tallied 21 kills and a .333 hitting percentage to lead the front line.

•Emma Patlovich (Lake Forest, Ill.) notched 49 assists, 14 digs and two service aces, while Kennedi Smith (The Woodlands, Texas) chipped in 10 kills and 15 digs for UNH

Up Next: Sept. 4 at Bryant, 7 pm
Next Home Match: Sept. 11 vs. Northeastern, 7 p.m. [ESPN+]

UNH		Iona
59	Kills	70
24	Errors	27
.183	Hitting Pct.	.214
7	Service Aces	10
11	Service Errors	13
91	Digs	101
12	Blocks	10

SET 1

There were four ties and one lead change as UNH won the opening three points of the match, but the Gaels rallied to take a 7-5 lead.
The Wildcats tied the set at 7, but Iona reeled off the next four points to build an 11-7 advantage.
UNH chipped away to tie the score at 15. Iona went on a 3-1 spurt to edge in front 18-16.
The Wildcats won the next point on a kill by Olhava, but the Gaels closed the set on a 7-0 run that included five service aces by Taylor Cole.

SET 2

There were five ties and one lead change as New Hampshire won the first point and took an early 4-1 lead.
Iona went on a 5-2 spurt to tie the score at 6.
Leading 9-8, the 'Cats won four consecutive points to extend the advantage to five points, 13-8, and force the Gaels to call a timeout.
Iona responded with three straight points and eventually closed within 16-14, before the 'Cats surged ahead 20-16.
The Gaels used their last timeout and responded with a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the set, 21-20. Another service ace by Cole had tied the score at 20 and prompted UNH to call time out.
With the score tied at 22, Iona won the next two points and then Jamie Smith's kill ended the set, 25-23.

SET 3

There were seven ties and three lead changes as UNH surged in front, Iona surged in front and the Wildcats fought off two match points before extending the matchup to a fourth set.
Trailing 3-1, UNH reeled off five consecutive points to take a 6-3 lead.
The Wildcats pushed the advantage to 12-8, but Iona went on a 6-0 run to regain the lead, 14-12.
With the score tied at 19 following back-to-back kills by Olhava, Iona inched closer to a straight-set sweep by taking a 21-19 lead.
The 'Cats trailed 23-21, called their last timeout of the set and responded with a kill by Wiedenfeld and block by the combination of Wiedenfeld and Alexa Markman (Chicago, Ill.) to tie the score at 23.
Wiedenfield's next two kills erased two Iona match points and leveled the score at 25-25.
Olhava followed with a kill and then a Gaels' hitting error ended the set in favor of UNH, 27-25.

SET 4

There were 14 ties and three lead changes.
It was back-and-forth early in the set, as there were six ties in the first 12 points scored.
UNH went in front 8-6 and held that lead until Iona forged a tie at 11. The score was then tied at 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 before a pair of kills by Olhava sparked the 'Cats to a 22-19 advantage.
Iona rallied to tie the score and that prompted New Hampshire to call a timeout. Out of the break, the Gaels committed three consecutive errors to end the set.

SET 5

There were six ties but never a lead change in the decisive set.
Iona jumped out to a 3-0 lead and UNH never pulled even the rest of the way.
The Wildcats called timeout at 5-2 and responded with back-to-back points, but then the Gaels reeled off five consecutive points to build a 10-4 advantage.
Out of another timeout, UNH closed within 10-8 on kills by Smith, Wiedenfeld and Olhava, as well an Iona attack error.
The Gaels quelled the run with one point, but then a pair of Olhava kills helped lift the 'Cats within 12-11.
Iona held two more match points at 14-12, but they were erased by a pair of UNH blocks; Markman combined with Patlovich on the first one and Wiedenfeld on the next.
The 'Cats fended off five more match points, but were never able to go in front to gain a match point before Iona won consecutive points – the last on a kill by Karla Johnson – to win the set, 21-19, and match, 3-2.

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