'Cats Upended in America East Semifinal by Hartford, 3-2

Friday, November 22

Albany, N.Y.

4 PM

University of New Hampshire

17-9

University of Hartford

16-12

HARTFORD

New Hampshire

Photo by: Jessica Ramberg

11/22/2019 8:02:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

ALBANY, N.Y. – They say there's a first time for everything. And unfortunately for the University of New Hampshire volleyball team, that proved true in Friday's America East Championship semifinal matchup against the University of Hartford at UAlbany's University Gym.

UNH was undefeated (5-0) in five-set matches during the regular season, but the Wildcats saw their 2019 season come to an end with a 3-2 loss to the Hawks. The set scores were 24-26, 23-25, 25-20, 25-17, 15-10.

UNH, the No. 2 seed of the tourney with a 7-3 conference record, closes the year at 17-9 overall. Hartford, the third seed at 6-4, defeated the 'Cats for the second time in six days to improve to 16-12 and advance to the title game.

STAT LEADERS

Kennedi Smith (The Woodlands, Texas) recorded her third consecutive double-double with 12 kills and 13 digs.
Abby Sullivan (Methuen, Mass.) had 12 kills, .269 hitting percentage and two blocks.
Hannah Petke (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) finished with 12 kills.
Erin Hedrick (Montvale, N.J.) recorded 10 kills on a team-high .333 hitting percentage; she also had five blocks.
Bre Smith (Boonvile, Mo.) was credited with a team-leading six blocks.
Emma Patlovich (Lake Forest, Ill.) totaled 27 assists, two service aces and four digs.
Emily Tanski (Plymouth, Mich.) finished with a match-high 21 digs.
Wren Macaulay (Lake Orion, Michigan) tallied 18 assists and three kills.
Logan Welti (Middleton, Wis.) had 11 digs and an ace.

UNH NOTEBOOK
•New Hampshire has a 46-5 lifetime against Hartford. This was the first postseason matchup between the programs.
•Patlovich, one of five Wildcats to reach the 2,000 assist milestone, increased her career total to 2,074.
•Smith is No. 7 in career kills (1,075); ahead of her is No. 6 Morgan Thatcher (1,168).
•Smith is No. 8 on the all-time points list with 1,265; next on the list is No. 7 Morgan Thatcher (1,322).
•Tanski is No. 2 on UNH's career digs list and increased her career total to 1,487. Madison Lightfoot holds the record of 1,657.
•Five Wildcats received America East all-conference accolades on the eve of the tourney: Petke was named to the First Team; Smith and Sullivan were Second Team Selections; Hedrick and Macaulay were voted to the All-Rookie Team.
•The end of the season marks the end of UNH Wildcat careers for five seniors: captains Petke, Smith and Welti, as well as Tanski and Jenny Weston (Canton, Mass.).

SET 1
•There were three tie scores and two lead changes in the first set.
•Hartford built a 7-3 lead and extended the advantage to 14-7.
•New Hampshire went on a 6-1 run to close within two points, 15-13; Sullivan had two assisted blocks and a kill during that spurt.
•The Hawks responded with four consecutive points to push the margin to 19-13.
•UNH chipped away to trim the deficit to 23-21.
•Facing set points at 24-21, the Wildcats extended the set on kills by Hedrick and Petke, then leveled the score at 24 on Patlovich's service ace.
•Hartford committed two errors on the next to points as the 'Cats closed the set, 26-24, on a 5-0 run.

SET 2
•There were five ties and two lead changes in the second set.
•UNH carried momentum into Set 2 to take a 5-2 lead.
•Hartford responded to go in front, 8-7.
•Sullivan's back-to-back kills were followed by another from Petke to give the Wildcats a 10-8 advantage.
•Leading 12-11, UNH won four consecutive points – three on kills by Smith – to push the lead to 16-11.
•Hartford closed within one point three times (22-21; 23-22; 24-23) but Patlovich attacked on the second touch to end the set, 25-23, and give UNH a 2-0 lead in the match.

SET 3
•There were three tie scores and two more lead changes in the third set.
•This time it was Hartford that took a 5-2 lead, which prompted UNH to call a timeout.
•The Wildcats answered with a 7-2 run to surge ahead, 9-7.
•Trailing 12-9, the Hawks reeled off sixth consecutive points to retake the lead, 15-12.
•New Hampshire closed within 16-15, but then Hartford won seven of the next eight points, including six straight, to advance the score to set point, 24-16.
•The 'Cats prolonged the set by winning four consecutive points, but the Hartford extended the match with a kill.

SET 4
•There was one tie score and no lead changes in the fourth set.
•With the score tied at 5, Hartford won three consecutive points to surge ahead 8-5.
•The Hawks pushed the lead to 12-8, at which point New Hampshire called time out.
•Hartford won the next two points, however, to push the margin to 14-8.
•Smith recorded back-to-back kills and then Petke's kill trimmed the deficit to 14-11.
•The Hawks called a timeout and won the ensuing three points to reestablish a six-point advantage, 17-11.
•Trailing 20-12, a pair of Hedrick kills sandwiched Smith's ace to lift the 'Cats within 20-15.
•Hartford edged ahead 22-15, then UNH responded with back-to-back points.
•The Hawks closed out the set with three consecutive points.

SET 5
•There were four tie scores and one lead change in the fifth set.
•The teams exchanged points early as the score was tied at 1, 2, 3 and 4.
•Hartford won the next three points to build a 7-4 lead and prompt the Wildcats to take a timeout.
•Hedrick halted the run with a cross-court kill but the teams changed sides of the court with the Hawks leading 8-5.
•Hartford won the next two points to push the margin to five points, 10-5, and force the 'Cats to call their last timeout of the set.
•The Hawks won the next three points to extend the run to 6-0 and build a 13-5 advantage.
•A pair of Hartford attack errors was followed by Sullivan's kill to lift New Hampshire within 13-8, and the Hawks called time out.
•The Wildcats faced five match points at 14-9 and saw their season end two points later.