Postseason Starts With AE Semifinal vs. Hartford (Nov. 22 at UAlbany)

Friday, November 22

Albany, N.Y.

4 PM

University of New Hampshire

University of Hartford

Photo by: Meghan Murphy

Postseason Starts With AE Semifinal vs. Hartford (Nov. 22 at UAlbany)

11/21/2019 10:52:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

UNH VOLLEYBALL

America East Championship: Tournament Central

SEMIFINALS
Friday, Nov. 22 ~ 4 p.m.
University Gym ~ Albany, N.Y.
No. 2 UNH (17-8, 7-3 AE) vs. No. 3 Hartford (15-12, 6-4 AE) ~ Video ~ Stats

FINAL
Saturday, Nov. 23 ~ 5 p.m.

HOW WE GOT HERE

UNH entered the final weekend of the regular season second place in the America East standings and secured the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with a 3-2 comeback win at Stony Brook University last Friday.

WHERE WE GO FROM HERE

Friday's semifinal winner advances to Saturday's title game (5 p.m.) against the other semifinal winner (No. 1 UAlbany vs. Stony Brook). The tourney champion advances to the NCAA tournament.

ALL-CONFERENCE ACCOLADES

Five UNH Wildcats received America East all-conference accolades on the eve of the semifinals.
Senior right side hitter and captain Hannah Petke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) was voted to the All-Conference First Team.
Senior outside hitter and captain Kennedi Smith (The Woodlands, Texas) and sophomore middle blocker Abby Sullivan (Methuen, Mass.) were named to the Second Team.
Freshman right side hitter Erin Hedrick (Montvale, N.J.) and freshman setter Wren Macaulay (Lake Orion, Mich.) were All-Rookie Team honorees.

UNH vs. HARTFORD
•UNH has a 46-4 lifetime record against Hartford that includes this season's series split in which the home team won both matches.
•It was just this past Sunday that these teams battled in the Hartford Volleyball Gym. The Hawks captured the first and third sets, then fended off three set points in Set 4 to close out the match, 27-25, in the fourth set. The set scores were 25-17, 21-25, 25-19, 27-25. | Recap | Box
•UNH recorded a 3-0 home win at Lundholm Gym on Oct. 18; the set scores were 25-19, 25-20, 25-20. | Recap | Box
•Eight of the last 10 matchups have been decided in straight sets.

THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE • Home Page • Schedule • Roster • Stats
•UNH has a 17-8 overall record that includes 7-3 in America East and 5-1 at neutral sites.
•New Hampshire won seven of its last 10 regular-season matches.
•Last weekend, the Wildcats extended their win streak to three matches with a 3-2 comeback win at Stony Brook (Friday, Nov. 15) and then lost in four sets at Hartford (Sunday, Nov. 17).
•The Wildcats recorded a five-set win against UAlbany on Nov. 3 that ended the Great Danes' eight-match winning streak and marked their only conference loss.
•The 'Cats are unbeaten (5-0) in five-set matches this season and have a 7-5 mark in straight-set matches.
•UNH has won the first set in 17 of 25 matches; the Wildcats fell behind 1-0 in both matches last weekend.

PLAYING THE FIELD

New Hampshire had a 4-2 regular-season record against the 2019 America East Championship tournament field.
The Wildcats split the season series against top-seeded UAlbany and third-seeded Hartford. Each team successfully defended its home court.
UNH upended Hartford in straight sets at home; the Hawks prevailed 3-1 in West Hartford. The 'Cats won four more points in the seven-set aggregate total.
UAlbany won in straight sets; UNH defeated the Great Danes in five. The eight-set overall point differential was +7 in favor of UAlbany.
UNH swept fourth-seeded Stony Brook (3-0 at home and 3-2 on the road) and was a +20 points in the eight-set total.

TOURNAMENT HISTORY

UNH is competing in the America East Championship for the ninth consecutive year (2011-19).
The Wildcats have been ousted in the semifinals each of the past two years.
New Hampshire won four consecutive America East tournament titles from 2013-14-15-16. The 'Cats have won seven tourney titles overall; they also won it all in 1998, 2002 and '03.
UNH has a 17-10 overall record in the conference tourney with a 9-7 record in the semifinals and 7-3 mark in title matches.
Friday's semifinal will be the first postseason matchup between the New Hampshire and Hartford volleyball programs.
This is the seventh time UNH is the America East #2 seed. The Wildcats have never won the tournament from this position. The Wildcats finished as runner-up in 1997, 1999 and 2000; they were ousted in the semifinals in 2007, 2009 and 2011.

'CAT NIPS FROM LAST WEEKEND

Hannah Petke averaged 4.56 points, 4.22 kills and 0.56 blocks per set as she had two of her top performances of the year in the last weekend of the regular season. Petke finished with season highs of 21 kills (on a .528 hitting percentage) and 22 points at Hartford on Nov. 17. Two days earlier, Petke tallied 17 kills (.400 hitting percentage) and 19 points at Stony Brook.
Kennedi Smith recorded a pair of double-doubles last week with 22.5 points (matching her career high) and 11 digs at Stony Brook, followed by 16 kills (.400 hitting percentage) and 10 digs. Smith averaged 4.56 points per set on the strength of 4.00 kills per set. Her other stats included 2.33 digs per set, a .337 hitting percentage, four service aces and two blocks.
Emma Patlovich averaged 5.89 assists and 3.11 digs per set. She recorded a pair of double-doubles on the week with 27 assists and career-high 17 digs at Stony Brook, followed by 26 assists and 11 digs at Hartford. In the decisive fifth set at SBU, Patlovich tallied seven digs and led the 'Cats to a .324 hitting percentage to help New Hampshire get the win.
Emily Tanski averaged 4.00 digs per set last weekend and also contributed offensively with six service aces (three each match) and 14 assists (seven in both matches). The three aces matched her season high, while the seven assists put her one short of her career high. Tanski helped UNH capture Set 5 at Stony Brook with nine digs and two aces in that decisive set.
Wren Macaulay recorded averages of 4.00 assists per set, 1.56 digs per set and 1.11 service aces per set. Her overall numbers included 36 assists, 10 aces, 14 digs and three kills (on a .429 hitting percentage). Macaulay finished with 23 assists and was one dig short of a double-double in the five-set win at SBU; she also served five aces. She matched that ace total at Hartford.
New Hampshire served a season-high 14 aces last Sunday at Hartford; it surpassed the mark of 13 established the previous match at Stony Brook; the 'Cats tallied double digits in aces one other time (10 vs. UAlbany).
UNH's .358 team hitting percentage at Hartford was the Wildcats' fifth-highest mark of the season, and the second-best against an America East conference opponent (trailed only .386 vs. Stony Brook on Oct. 20).
The Wildcats' 61 kills was the third-highest match total of the season; the 'Cats tallied more kills vs. Loyola (67) and Albany (62; at home Nov. 3).
UNH's 91 digs at SBU last Friday marked the second-highest total of the year (92 vs. Loyola).

FOURTH SET SLIPS AWAY AT HARTFORD

With Hartford leading 2-1 in the match, Set 4 was tied at 21.
New Hampshire went on a 3-1 spurt to advance to set point, 24-22.
The homestanding Hawks extended the set with back-to-back kills.
UNH earned its third set point, 25-24, on a kill by Erin Hedrick.
Hartford once again denied the Wildcats, this time on Valerie Diede's kill. That was followed by a kill from Jenna Bridges, and then a UNH attack error gave the Hawks the set (27-25) and match (3-1).

CLIMBING UP THE DIGS LIST
•Senior libero Emily Tanski ascended to No. 2 on the program's all-time digs list Nov. 3 with the ninth of her 14 kills vs. UAlbany.
•She now has 1,466 career digs. UNH's all-time record of 1,657 digs is held by Madison Lightfoot.

1,000 KILLS & POINTS MILESTONES
•Senior outside hitter Kennedi Smith became the ninth UNH Wildcat to reach 1,000 career kills Oct. 26 with the third of her 12 kills at Dartmouth. She enters the weekend No. 7 on the program's career leaderboard with 1,063. Ahead of her on the career leaderboard is No. 6 Morgan Thatcher (1,168).
•Smith became the 17^th UNH Wildcat to record 1,000 career points Sept. 5 vs. Seattle. She enters the weekend at No. 8 with 1,251. Ahead of Smith on the list is No. 7 Morgan Thatcher at 1,322.

ASSIST LIST
•Junior setter Emma Patlovich became the fifth Wildcat to reach the 2,000-assist milestone with the sixth of her 27 assists last Friday at Stony Brook.
•Patlovich enters the conference tourney with 2,047 career assists.
•No. 4 on UNH's list is Keelin Severtson (2,449).

SERVING ACES
•Kennedi Smith entered another Top 10 list Nov. 1. With two service aces against UMBC, Smith increased her career total to 96 to climb to 10^th on the program's all-time leaderboard.
•Smith tallied two aces last Friday at Stony Brook and two more in the regular-season finale at Hartford to reach the 100 milestone.
•Emily Tanski climbed past Smith last weekend with three aces against both SBU and Hartford to increase her career number to 102.
•Tanski is currently No. 8 on New Hampshire's career leaderboard. Ahead of her are No. 7 Stacy Barnett (104) and No. 6 Tori Forrest (106).
•Erin Walker is No. 9 with 101 aces, and Smith is next with her 100.

BLOCK PARTY
•Sophomore Abby Sullivan has 112 blocks this season and that total is No. 7 on the program's list of single-season superlatives.
•Next on the list is No. 7 Natasha Otte (111 in 2002). Then there is a gap to No. 6 Beth Cole (128 in 1999).
•Senior Hannah Petke is second on this year's squad with 88.

PETKE POWERS UNH PAST BINGHAMTON (Friday, November 8)
•Hannah Petke recorded a match-high 11 kills and just one error on 18 attacks for a .556 hitting percentage in UNH's 3-0 win at Binghamton University on Nov. 8.
•Petke was nearly perfect in the last two sets. She had four kills on six swings in Set 2 and five kills on seven attacks in Set 3.
•Bre Smith also had a strong performance at the net with six blocks (0-6-6) and four kills with no errors on six attacks for a .667 hitting percentage. Smith fueled the Wildcats to a strong start in Set 1 with two kills and three blocks.
•Emma Patlovich recorded 18 assists (6.00 per set) to help direct UNH to a .325 team hitting percentage against the Bearcats.
•Emily Tanski finished with a match-high nine digs (3.00 per set) to backbone a Wildcats' defensive effort that limited Binghamton to a .143 hitting percentage. She was consistent with three digs each set.
•Wren Macaulay and Logan Welti combined for all eight of UNH's service aces. Macaulay tallied a career-high five and Welti recorded three. Macaulay also had 10 assists and three digs, while Welti had five digs.

RETURN TO SENDER
•UNH recorded a season-high 16 blocks in the 3-2 win vs. UAlbany (Nov. 3) as four Wildcats finished with 5+ blocks.
•It was the most blocks by a UNH team since Oct. 13, 2012, when the Wildcats recorded 17 blocks against Hartford (in a five-set loss).
•Bre Smith led the way with a career-high eight blocks (1 solo, 7 assisted).
•Abby Sullivan tallied seven assisted blocks.
•Hannah Petke and Erin Hedrick both finished with five assisted blocks.
•New Hampshire has recorded double-digit blocks eight times this season.

SULLIVAN'S STELLAR WEEKEND
•Abby Sullivan averaged 4.06 points per set in two matches the weekend of Nov. 1 & 3 (vs. UMBC and UAlbany). She recorded 3.38 kills per set on a .262 hitting percentage and also averaged 1.25 blocks per set.
•Sullivan recorded a career-high 16 kills with a .281 hitting percentage vs. UMBC. She also had three blocks (one solo, two assisted) for a personal best of 18 points.
•Sullivan followed that with 11 kills and seven blocks in the five-set win vs. UAlbany. In the decisive fifth set, she recorded a kill on each of the first two points to ignite the 'Cats to a 7-1 lead; Sullivan also closed out the match with a kill.

SETTING THEM UP
•Wren Macaulay tallied a career- and team-high 26 assists in UNH's 3-2 home win against UAlbany (Nov. 3). It marked her sixth 20+ assist effort of the season.

QUINTIPLE DOUBLE
•Five Wildcats recorded double-digit kills Nov. 3 vs. UAlbany. Hannah Petke led the way with 14 and was followed by Erin Hedrick (12), Abby Sullivan (11), Kennedi Smith (11) and Katie Jablonski (10).
WILDCAT LEADERBOARD
•Senior outside hitter Kennedi Smith is UNH's leader in points (298) and points per set (3.20) as well as kills (251) and kills per set (2.70). Smith is also second in digs (225) and digs per set (2.42), and third in service aces (30).
•Senior right side hitter Hannah Petke has a team-best .308 hitting percentage and ranks second in points (295.5), points per set (3.81), kills (248), kills per set (2.67), blocks (88) and blocks per set (0.95).
•Sophomore middle blocker Abby Sullivan is UNH's leader in blocks (112) and blocks per set (1.20). She ranks second in hitting percentage (.296), and she ranks third in points (255.5) and points per set (3.18) as well as kills (194) and kills per set (2.09).
•Senior libero Emily Tanski has a team-high 348 digs and her 4.14 per set is also tops on the team.
•The setting duties have been split between junior Emma Patlovich and freshman Wren Macaulay. Patlovich is averaging 5.34 assists per set and Macaulay is at 4.11.
•Macualay, with five service aces each of the past three matches, has climbed to the top of the leaderboard with 36 aces. Patlovich is fifth with 23.
•Senior Logan Welti ranks second on the squad with 31 service aces and she ranks third in digs (219) and digs per set (2.35).

CONFERENCE CALL
•New Hampshire leads the America East conference in winning percentage (.680), total blocks (226.5) and opponent hitting percentage (.197), as well as service aces (1.66 per set).
•The Wildcats rank second in digs per set (14.24), blocks per set (2.44) and hitting percentage (.217).
•Abby Sullivan is atop the conference leaderboard in total blocks (112), No. 2 in blocks per set (1.20) and No. 6 in hitting percentage (.296).
•Emily Tanski ranks second in the league in digs per set at 4.13, as well as 10^th in service aces per set (0.28).
•Hannah Petke ranks fourth in America East in hitting percentage (.308) and sixth in blocks per set (0.95), as well as ninth in both points/set (3.81) and kills/set (2.67). And in conference-only matches, she is atop the leaderboard in hitting percentage at .384
•Kennedi Smith is No. 8 both points per set (3.20) and kills per set (2.70). She is No. 9 in digs per set (2.42) and service aces per set (0.30).
•Logan Welti is 10th in digs per set (2.35) and No. 6 in service aces per set (0.33).
•Wren Macaulay is No. 3 in service aces (0.39 per set).

SETTING STANDARDS
•This year's New Hampshire team has the most wins through 20 matches in program history with 14 victories; the previous best of 13 was most recently done in 2015 and previously happened in 2007, 2001, 1997 and 1984.
•The Wildcats recorded their 10^th win in match #13, which marked the second-fastest that UNH reached 10 victories; the 1975 squad reached double digits in 12 matches.
•UNH's 10-4 record marked the best start to a season since the 1978 squad was also 10-4 through 14 matches.

NEW ERA OF UNH VOLLEYBALL WITH CHRISTOPHER FELICIANO
•Christopher Feliciano enters his first year as UNH head coach after eight years at Rider University. Assistant coach Ashley Tennant and graduate assistant Tiffany Verni join him on the staff.
•CLICK HERE to watch the "Meet the Coaches" video

SCOUTING HARTFORD | Hartford volleyball website
•The University of Hartford (West Hartford, Conn.) ended the regular season with a 15-12 overall record that included 6-4 in America East and 3-3 at neutral sites
•The Hawks are 4-1 the past five matches; prior to that, they lost four straight.
•Jenna Bridges is a two-time America East Player of the Year (2018 & 2019).
•Maddie Lindsay was named the 2019 AE Rookie of the Year.

WILDCAT ACCOLADES
•Emily Tanski – America East Defensive Specialist of the Week, three times
•Sept. 3 … Sept. 10 … Sept. 24 … Oct. 22
•Wren Macaulay – America East Rookie of the Week
•Sept. 17 … Oct. 22 … Oct. 29
•Emma Patlovich – America East Setter of the Week (Sept. 3)
•Kennedi Smith – America East Player of the Week (Oct. 22)