UNH Volleyball Defeats a BIG 10 School For Third Time in Program History With 3-2 Victory vs. Maryland

Saturday, August 31

Baton Rouge, La.

1 PM Eastern

University of New Hampshire

Maryland

UNH Volleyball Defeats a BIG 10 School For Third Time in Program History With 3-2 Victory vs. Maryland

8/31/2024 4:38:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Hohnbaum records career-high 18 kills and 20.5 points

Baton Rouge, La. – The University of New Hampshire volleyball team persevered with a 3-2 victory over Maryland on Saturday's final day of the LSU Invitational.

This is the third time in program history that the Wildcats took down a BIG 10 School.

The set scores were 25-22, 25-21, 23-25, 24-26, 15-12.

Junior right-side hitter Meredith Hohnbaum (Indianapolis, Ind.) led UNH's attack with a career high 18 kills for 20.5 points. Sophomore middle blocker Rachel Grier (Dublin, Calif.) was next up with 15 kills and 18 points on a .429 hitting percentage; she also had five block assists. Sophomore Jessica Shattles (Ponte Verda Beach, Fla.) finished with a team-high 31 assists. Junior libero Avery LePore (Franklin, Tenn.) anchored the back row with 22 digs.

UP NEXT

UNH is back in action Friday, Sept. 6 when they begin the Harvard Invitational against Merrimack at 4 p.m.
The Wildcats home opener is Thursday, Sept. 19 (6 p.m.) against UConn

How it Happened:
SET 1

The Wildcats came out firing in set one as they went up 12-4 early.
- Hohnbaum had three kills and a block assist.
- LePore recorded an ace.
- Grier recorded a pair of kills and a block assist (with Senior captain Marisa Armer (Bradenton, Fla.)
- Senior captain hitter Hannah Serbousek (Fort Collins, Colo.) recorded her first kill of the day.
Maryland fought back and brought the deficit to three points by going on a 7-2 run.
A Maryland error and a Serbousek ace put the 'Cats back up by five before the Terps went on a 6-2 run to make the score 18-17.
Armer recorded a solo block to halt Maryland's momentum. Grier and Hohnbaum each rocked two kills to seal the deal for set one (25-22).
The only time UNH trailed in set one was 1-0.

SET 2

Set two was much more competitive as there were 14 ties and five lead changes.
The two teams traded one-point deficits up until the 'Cats finally took a three-point lead at 13-10
- A kill from Hohnbaum, a Maryland error, and a block from Senior outside hitter Ezgi Karabulut (Ankara, Turkey) gave UNH that lead.
The 'Cats fell behind the Terps after an 8-2 run (17-14 Maryland)
Serbousek recorded a kill and a block assist to help UNH get back into the game.
Graduate Student captain Kelly Kaufmann (Raleigh, N.C.), Serbousek, and Karabulut continued the Wildcat's momentum to set them up with a 24-21 lead. LePore finished the job to put UNH up two sets to none.

SET 3

The Wildcats began the third set up two after a kill by Hohnbaum and an ace from Serbousek. But the Terps quickly responded with an 11-2 run that put UNH down 11-4.
It did not take long for the 'Cats to fight back as they put together a 12-3 run to take the lead thanks to three kills by Grier along with two kills, and two aces by Serbousek.
Maryland scored four straight points to retake the lead but a kill from Kaufmann and an ace from LePore brought the Wildcats back to an 18-18 tie score.
The teams traded points up to a 23-23 tie score but the Terps won set three with two straight kills.

SET 4

The Wildcats began set four with a 7-3 lead but Maryland fought back with an 9-6 run to trail by one point.
A kill and block assist by Grier put UNH back up by three points (15-12).
Maryland responded with three consecutive points to tie the game at 15. Then the Wildcats put up four consecutive points to retake their largest lead of the set.
UNH maintained that lead until the Terps battled back to take the lead at 22-21. Serbousek recorded a kill and Kaufmann and Hohnbaum recorded a block assist to keep up with Maryland at 23 a piece.
Hohnbaum gave the 'Cats a chance to win it with a kill to go up 24-23 but Maryland fired back with three unanswered points to tie the match at two.

SET 5

UNH started this final set strong with a 6-2 lead.
- Hohnbaum had two kills, and Karabulut and Kauffmann each had one.
Maryland tied up the set at nine after going on a 7-3 run.
Karabulut and Grier recorded a kill to set the Wildcats up with a lead they would never give up.
Hohnbaum had the final two kills to clinch a 15-12 victory for the 'Cats.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

UNH finished with the edge in hitting percentage (.216 to .172), kills (64-62) and aces (8-3).
The Wildcats recorded 15 blocks to Maryland's 10.
New Hampshire also led in digs, 83-77.

UNH NOTEBOOK

This is the third time in program history that the Wildcats have beaten a BIG 10 team. (First time since Sept. 9 2016 vs. Rutgers)
Serbousek is 197 kills and 47 points away from 1,000
Kaufmann is 181.5 points away from 1,000
Kaufmann had a highly efficient day with seven kills and no errors. She also had a team-leading seven blocks and three digs.

SERIES NOTEBOOK