'Cats Fight Off Match Point, Rally to Win In Five Sets at Bryant

Tuesday, September 4

Smithfield, RI

7 PM

University of New Hampshire

2-5

Bryant University

4-4

New Hampshire

Bryant

'Cats Fight Off Match Point, Rally to Win In Five Sets at Bryant

9/4/2018 10:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Maddie Wiedenfeld (Omaha, Neb.), Gabri Olhava (Mount Prospect, Ill.) and Molly Wotton (Dover, N.H.) all recorded double-digits in kills and a total of 10 blocks to lead the University of New Hampshire volleyball team to a 3-2 come-from-behind victory against Bryant University at Chace Athletic Center on Tuesday night.

After dropping the first two sets (19-25, 20-25), the Wildcats fended off one match point in Set 3 to rally and capture that set, 27-25, and then took the next two sets by scores of 25-15, 15-11 to complete the comeback.

With the score tied 5-5 in Set 5, UNH went on a decisive 5-1 run to take control as the Bulldogs never got closer than three points the rest of the way.

Wiedenfeld finished with a match-high 16 kills on a .250 hitting percentage; she also had two blocks. Olhava recorded 15 kills on a .448 hitting percentage, as well as a match-high five blocks. Wotton had 11 kills, a .250 hitting percentage, five digs and three blocks.

UNH is now 2-5 and Bryant is 4-4.

Up Next: Art Carmichael Invitational at University of Rhode Island
Sept. 7 at URI, 7 pm
Sept. 8 vs. Yale, 11 am // vs. Army, 4 pm

Next Home Match: Sept. 11 vs. Northeastern, 7 p.m. [ESPN+]

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

SET 1

There was one tie and one lead change in the opening set.
UNH wont the first point of the match on a kill by Wotton, but the Bulldogs won the next three points and held the lead the rest of the set.
Trailing 6-2, the Wildcats closed within 7-5 on three Bryant errors. The home team responded with a 4-0 run to extend the advantage to 11-5.
A block by Olhava stopped the run, but New Hampshire would get no closer than four points in the set.
Bryant led by as many as 10 points (20-10 and 21-10) before the 'Cats rallied within 22-17 on a pair of Smith service errors.
The Bulldogs called time out and won the next point, but then back-to-back kills by Wotton and Olhava lifted UNH within 23-19.
That's where the comeback ended, however, as Bryant took the next two points to end the set, 25-19.

SET 2

There were two ties and one lead change in the second set.
UNH carried momentum from late in the first set into the start of Set 2 to build an early 4-1 lead.
Bryant surged in front, 6-4, with five consecutive points. UNH knotted the score at 6 before the Bulldogs went on a 4-0 run to build a 10-6 advantage.
The Wildcats went on another 4-1 spurt to close within one point, 11-10.
Bryant answered with a 5-2 run to open up a 16-12 cushion and prompt UNH to call a timeout.
The 'Cats won 2 of 3 points out of the break in the action, but the Bulldogs went on another 5-2 spurt to push the margin to 22-16 and force New Hampshire to another timeout.
UNH inched within four points, 23-19, but could get no closer.

SET 3

There were 11 ties and six lead changes in the third set.
Neither team led by more than two points until New Hampshire won four consecutive points to take an 11-7 lead and force the home team to call time out. Olhava ignited the spurt with a kill and block, then Wotton followed with back-to-back kills.
UNH pushed the margin to five points, 14-9, before the Bulldogs closed within 15-13 on a 4-1 spurt.
The 'Cats called a timeout, but Bryant won the next four points – that pushed the run to seven consecutive points – to regain the lead, 17-15.
Trailing 18-16, New Hampshire called its final timeout of Set 3 and responded to tie the score and take a 21-19 lead.
Bryant called time out and leveled the score at 23. After fighting off a set point, the Bulldogs held match point at 25-24. However, UNH answered with kills by Wiedenfeld and Petke and a service ace to rally to win the set, 27-25, and extend the match.

SET 4

There were six ties and three lead changes in the fourth set.
Similar to the Set 3, this was back-and-forth early in Set 4 with neither team winning more than two consecutive points or leading by more than two points until UNH won six straight points to build a 13-8 advantage.
The run began with kills by Olhava, Wotton and Wiedenfeld, continued with back-to-back aces by Jenny Weston (Canton, Mass.), and ended with a combined block by Wiedenfield and Wotton.
Holding a 15-11 lead, a pair of Petke kills surrounded one by Olhava to extend the margin to 18-11 and prompt Bryant to call its last timeout of the set.
The Bulldogs won the point out of the break, but UNH kept momentum by winning the next three points to take a 21-12 lead and force the decisive set (25-25).

SET 5

There were two ties and one lead change in the final set.
Bryant won the first point, but then a pair of Bulldog attack errors sandwiched an ace by Patlovich to give UNH a 3-1 lead.
The home team leveled the score at 5 before kills by Olhava and Patlovich sparked a 3-0 run that gave the 'Cats a lead they would not relinquish.
Trailing 10-6, Bryant called a timeout and won the next point, but UNH answered with back-to-back kills from Wotton and Petke to build a 12-7 advantage.
UNH called time out at 13-10 and Wiedenfeld's 16^th kill of the match advanced the Wildcats to match point.
The Bulldogs extended the match by winning the next point, but then Petke closed out the set and match with a kill.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Emma Patlovich (Lake Forest, Ill.) orchestrated the attack with 47 assists. She has tallied 47 assists in 3 of 7 matches in addition to a career high of 49.
Emily Tanski (Plymouth, Mich.) recorded a team-high 14 digs. Kennedi Smith (The Woodlands, Texas) followed with 11.
After hitting .031 and .062 in the first two sets, respectively, the Wildcats closed the match with subsequent marks of .200, .500 and .438.
This was the second consecutive five-set match for New Hampshire. The 'Cats also rallied from 2-0 down vs. Iona College on Sept. 1 and fended off nine match points before succumbing to the Gaels on the 10^th.

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.