University of New Hampshire Athletics
University of New Hampshire
1-0,0-0America East
Holy Cross
0-1,0-0Patriot
'Cats Sweep Holy Cross in Season-Opener at Holly Young Invitational
8/29/2025 8:18:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Grier sets pace with 10 kills and .562 hitting percentage
DURHAM, N.H. — The UNH volleyball team opened the 2025 season in dominant fashion Friday night, sweeping Holy Cross 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-13) at Lundholm Gymnasium in the second match of the 2025 Holly Young Invitational.
Senior Rachel Grier (Dublin, Calif.) led the Wildcats (1-0) with a match-high 10 kills on a blistering .562 hitting percentage, while senior Lindsey Kriendler (Houston, Texas) added seven kills and hit .455. Senior Meredith Hohnbaum (Indianapolis, Ind.) and junior Evelyn Brenton (Glastonbury, Conn.) chipped in with five and four kills, respectively, as UNH hit .243 as a team and out-blocked the Crusaders 14-5.
UNH controlled the match from the outset, jumping out to early leads in each set and never trailing in the first and third frames. The Wildcats posted a .292 hitting percentage in the opening set and held Holy Cross (0-1) to a .000 mark. The Crusaders struggled offensively throughout, finishing with 22 attack errors and a .000 team hitting percentage.
Junior setter Jessica Shattles (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) paced the offense with 13 assists and added nine digs, while sophomore Ellery Singleton (Menlo Park, Calif.) contributed 11 assists and four digs. Senior libero Avery LePore (Franklin, Tenn.) anchored the back row with eight digs and two service aces.
Defensively, UNH was relentless at the net, recording 14 total blocks, including five from Grier and four each from Hohnbaum, Brenton, and Kriendler. The Wildcats also served tough, tallying nine aces and forcing nine reception errors.
Holy Cross was led by Taliah Lee and Kyla Harris, who each recorded six kills. The Crusaders were plagued by inconsistency, hitting negative in the third set and committing 29 total errors.
New Hampshire returns to action Saturday with matches against Northeastern and Saint Peter's (1 p.m., ESPN+) and Northeastern (7 p.m., ESPN+) as part of a four-match day in the conclusion of the Holly Young Invitational.
Northeastern/Holy Cross start the action at 10 a.m. (AE.TV) and Holy Cross battles Saint Peter's at 4 p.m. (AE.TV).
