The women’s volleyball team falls three sets to two to LSU on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 on day one of the Dog Pound Challenge. The Huskies split the series that day. Photo by Amar Batra, Senior Staff Photographer/Daily Campus
The UConn volleyball team won two out of their three matches during the annual Dog Pound Challenge tournament this weekend.
At the end of the tournament, junior setter Emma Turner and senior outside hitter Kenya Cason were named to the All-Tournament team. Last season, Turner led the team in assists with 717.
After the tournament, UConn head coach Kris Grunwald praised Turner’s work ethic and dedication to her team.
“The progress she’s made in two years is amazing and [I] couldn’t be happier for any other kid because she works her tail off,” Grunwald said. “Seven a.m. when we’re not in this facility she’s in the gym by herself getting her reps, getting better. She’s in our office watching film, asking for scouting reports. There’s not a kid who has worked any harder that I have ever been around who deserves it more than she does.”
Cason has been a steady force for the Huskies since freshman year, proving to be one of their more versatile players. She has suffered from ankle injuries throughout her career at UConn.
“Probably last night, [Cason] had the match of her career against LSU,” Grunwald said. [She] really opened a bright window of her potential in that position so I was really happy for her to have that breakout yesterday.”
During the Dog Pound Challenge, the UConn volleyball team raised money to benefit local animal shelters. The goal this year was to raise $2,000. As of Sunday afternoon $1,110 had been raised for the cause. During Saturday’s game, Wings of Freedom Animal Rescue had a table set up outside Guyer Gym with dogs available for adoption.
“It’s just an opportunity to try and give back to the community,” Grunwald said. “It’s a little different aspect of the community than a lot of people do. For us it’s a pretty special opportunity.”
Next up the Huskies will face Albany, Villanova, and Princeton at the Villanova Classic from Sept. 8-9.
Mariana Dominguez is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at mariana.dominguez@uconn.edu.