Non-Conference Schedule Closes at Cherry & White Challenge

Cherry & White Challenge • Temple Univeristy • Tourney home page
Friday, Sept. 14 • McGonigle Hall • Philadelphia, Pa.
UNH (4-7) vs. Maryland (7-2), 11 am • Stats
UNH vs. Princeton (5-3), 3 pm • Stats
Saturday, Sept. 15
UNH at Temple (1-8), 11 am • Video • Stats

STRANGE BUT TRUE

This will be the third time UNH plays Maryland and Temple in the same season.
The teams all competed at a Maryland tournament in 2007. UNH swept Temple and was swept by the Terps.
The Wildcats also played – and lost to – both teams in the 1981 season.

UNH vs. MARYLAND

New Hampshire has an 0-5 lifetime record against Maryland.
In the most recent meeting, the Terrapins were straight-set victors on their home court in 2013; the set scores were 25-15, 25-19, 25-19)
Maryland also won in 2012 (3-2), 2007 (3-0), 1981 (2-0) and 1977 (2-0).

UNH vs. PRINCETON

New Hampshire has a 2-0 lifetime record against Princeton. These programs have not met since 2000, when the Wildcats prevailed 3-0 in a match played at Rutgers University; the set scores were 15-11, 15-7, 15-10).

UNH vs. TEMPLE

New Hampshire has a 2-6 lifetime record against Temple with the Owls recording a 3-1 home win (26-24, 25-21, 18-25, 25-15) in 2016.
Prior to that, these programs had not met since 2007, when UNH won in straight sets at Maryland.
Temple's other wins came in 2004 (3-2), 2002 (3-2), 1981 (2-0 and 2-1) and 1979 (2-0).
UNH's first victory against the Owls was in 1980 (2-0).

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW

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.
UNH's next home match is Friday, Sept. 21 against UMass Lowell (7 p.m.)

SHOP UNH

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

WILDCAT DUO GARNER AMERICA EAST AWARDS

For the second consecutive week, two UNH Wildcats were honored by America East when the conference named its weekly award winners on Sept. 11.
Senior middle blocker and captain Gabri Olhava was honored as co-Player of the Week. Olhava amassed 67 kills (3.72/set) on a .392 hitting percentage in four matches. All three of those numbers led the Wildcats, as did her 14 blocks and 0.78 blocks per set.
Freshman middle blocker Maddie Wiedenfeld was feted as Rookie of the Week for the second consecutive week. She totaled 52 kills (2.89 per set) on a .281 hitting percentage and also had 13 blocks in four matches last week; all those stats ranked second on the team.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED

New Hampshire rolled to a 25-16 win in the opening set, but Northeastern University rallied to take the next three sets (25-17, 25-20, 25-17) and the match victory, 3-1, Tuesday night at Lundholm Gym to spoil UNH's home opener.
Kennedi Smith recorded team highs in both kills (16) and digs (16) to record her fourth double-double of the season; the kills marked a season high for Smith.
Maddie Wiedenfeld recorded 15 kills on a .342 hitting percentage.
Gabri Olhava contributed 12 kills and a team-high four blocks.
UNH dominated the first set with a .351 hitting percentage. Smith recorded seven kills on a .500 hitting percentage. Olhava had five kills and hit at a .444 clip. Wiedenfeld also had five kills on a .400 percentage.

A DAY TO REMEMBER

Gabri Olhava had a day for the record books last Saturday, when she recorded 40 kills (4.44 per set) on a .403 hitting percentage and also had four blocks. At the end of the day, she was named to the Art Carmichael Invitational All-Tournament Team.
Olhava began the day with a career-high 20 kills and just one error on 31 attacks for a .613 hitting percentage in the four-set win against Yale.
Approximately three hours later, she returned to the court and recorded 20 more kills on a .244 hitting percentage in the five-set victory vs. Army West Point.

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

UNH enters the weekend with a 4-7 overall record that includes 2-2 on the road and 2-4 in neutral-site matches.
The Wildcats' two-match win streak ended with Tuesday's 3-1 home loss to Northeastern.
UNH is 3-2 the past five matches and 3-3 the month of September.
Three of the last six matches have gone five sets, including last Saturday's win against Army in which the 'Cats prevailed 15-12 in Set 5. New Hampshire overcame a 2-0 deficit to upend Bryant (15-11 in Set 5) on Sept. 4, and on Saturday, Sept. 1, UNH erased a 2-0 deficit but fell in the fifth set to Iona College (21-19).
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.
Included among the 15 returning 'Cats are five America East conference award winners – senior middle blocker Gabri Olhava and junior hitter Kennedi Smith on the First Team, junior hitter Hannah Petke on the Second Team, sophomore setter Emma Patlovich on the All-Rookie Team, and senior setter Mali Jereczek on the All-Academic Team.
UNH was picked second in the 2018 America East Volleyball Preseason Poll.

CLOSING OUT NON-CONFERENCE ACTION

This weekend's Cherry & White Challenge will concluded the non-conference portion of UNH's 2018 schedule.
The Wildcats open America East action with three consecutive home matches against UMass Lowell (Sept. 21), Hartford (Sept. 28) and Stony Brook (Sept. 30).

DOUBLING UP

Emma Patlovich recorded her team-leading fifth double-double of the season with 43 assists and 12 digs vs. Yale.
Kennedi Smith has four double-doubles; the most recent was Sept. 11 vs. Northeastern with 16 kills and 16 digs.
Hannah Petke is the only other 'Cat with a double-double in '18; she finished with 11 kills and 11 digs at UConn on Aug. 31.

PUT ME IN, COACH

Four Wildcats enter the weekend having played all 42 sets this season – Olhava, Patlovich, Emily Tanski and Logan Welti.
Two other 'Cats – Smith and Wiedenfeld – have played in 45 of 46 sets.

'CATS ON THE ATTACK

Gabri Olhava, a second-year captain, leads UNH in kills (147), kills/set (3.20), attacks (328), hitting percentage (.329), points (168) and points/set (3.66). She is second in blocks (31) and blocks/set (0.67).
Maddie Wiedenfeld has a team-high 34 blocks and her 0.76 blocks/set is also atop the leaderboard. She ranks second in kills (127), kills/set (2.82), attacks (317), hitting percentage (.265), points (145) and points/set (3.22).
Kennedi Smith is third in kills (91) with an average of 2.02 kills per set.

READY TO ASSIST

Emma Patlovich has been UNH's primary setter through 11 matches with a total of 434 assists for an average of 9.43 per set. She is also tied for first on the squad in service aces with 13.
Patlovich has recorded 40+ assists in 7 of 11 matches; a stretch of five consecutive matches with 40+ assists ended Tuesday against Northeastern, when she had 31 assists. That streak began with a career high of 49 vs. Iona (Sept. 1). She followed that with 47 at Bryant, 43 against both URI and Yale, and 42 vs. Army.

MAKING A DEFENSIVE STAND

Emily Tanski, a junior who was All-Conference First Team in 2016, is transitioning from the front line to the back row this season and has become the Wildcats' primary libero.
Tanski was named America East Defensive Specialist of the Week each of the first two weeks of the season.
She has amassed 239 digs –100+ more than the closest teammate (Kennedi Smith, 133) – for an average of 5.20 digs per set.

SERVING IT UP

Emma Patlovich and Logan Welti are UNH's leaders with 13 service aces. Emily Tanski is next with 10.

CONFERENCE CALL

New Hampshire ranks second in assists (11.64/set) and digs (15.39/set), as well as opponent hitting percentage (.222).
UNH ranks third in kills (12.15/set), hitting percentage (.191) and blocks (1.78/set).
Gabri Olhava is atop the conference leaderboard in hitting percentage (.329), as well as fourth in both kills/set (3.20) and points/set (3.66).
Maddie Wiedenfeld is No. 6 in blocks/set (0.76), No. 6 in both kills/set (2.82) and hitting percentage (.265), and No. 8 in points/set (3.22).
Emma Patlovich is No. 4 in assists per set (9.43) and No. 6 in aces/set (0.28).
Logan Welti is tied for No. 6 in aces per set (0.28).
Emily Tanski is atop the leaderboard in digs per set (5.20).
Kennedi Smith is No. 8 in digs/set (2.96).

HIRSCHINGER'S HISTORY

Jill Hirschinger began her UNH tenure in the 1996 season. She has amassed a 363-320 record with 10 seasons of 20+ wins.
Hirschinger has been named America East Coach of the Year six times.

SCOUTING MARYLAND • website

University of Maryland (College Park, Md.) enters Friday's match with an impressive 7-2 record that includes 2-1 at neutral sites.
The Terrapins went 2-1 in last week's home tourney that ended with a 3-0 win vs. Liberty. The Terps opened with a straight-set win vs. Colgate, then lost in five sets to South Carolina.
Maryland's offense is spearheaded by Erika Pritchard, who leads the team with 140 kills (4.38 per set).
Nicole Alford leads the team in assists with 326 (10.19 per set) and has directed the attack to a .250 hitting percentage.
On defense, Allegra Rivas leads all Terrapins with 131 digs (4.09); Pritchard is next with 92 (2.88/set).
Katie Myers, Rainelle Jones and Pritchard are atop the blocks leaderboard with 34, 31 and 26, respectively.

SCOUTING PRINCETON • website

Princeton University (Princeton, N.J.) carries a 5-3 record and is riding a one-match win streak into Philadelphia for the Cherry & White Challenge.
The Tigers went 1-3 at last weekend's Towson Invitational with a win against the home team and losses to Long Beach State, Missouri and Ohio State.
This past Tuesday, the Tigers were 3-1 victors at Seton Hall.
Devon Peterkin leads the offense with 80 kills (3.08 per set). Maggie O'Connell has 77 and Clare Lenihan is next with 55.
Setter Jessie Harris leads the team with 279 assists (10.73 per set).
Cameron Dames has the most digs on the team with 118 (4.07 per set).
The team leader in the blocks category is Caroline Sklaver with 17 (0.77).

SCOUTING TEMPLE • website

Temple University (Philadelphia, Pa.) enters the weekend with a 1-8 overall record that includes 1-3 at home. The Owls have lost eight straight since defeating Rhode Island, 3-1, in the season opener.
Three of the losses have been in five sets, including one last Saturday to nationally-ranked Utah.
Dana Westfield (75 kills; 2.50 kills/set) and Katerina Papazoglou (77; 2.41/set) lead the attack, which is directed by the duo of Hannah Vandegrift (5.25 assists/set) and Tyler Lindgren (4.17 assists/set).
Mia Heirakuji (127 digs; 3.53/set) and Papazoglou (96; 3.00/set) are two of the defensive leaders.

2018 AMERICA EAST AWARDS

Emily Tanski: Defensive Specialist of the Week (Aug. 28 … Sept. 5)
Maddie Wiedenfeld: Rookie of the Week (Sept. 5 … Sept. 12)
Gabri Olhava: Player of the Week (Sept. 12)

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