The UConn Huskies volleyball team battled the Memphis Tigers down to the last point at Gampel Pavilion on October 21, 2018. The match resulted in a 17-15 loss for the Huskies in the fifth set. UConn came back from being behind for the first two sets to leading sets three and four (Judah Shingleton/The Daily Campus)
The UConn women’s volleyball team has dropped five of its last six games, including its last three. Therefore, an important weekend approaches, with the chance to rise two games above a .500 record, stay even, or end up two games below .500.
UConn’s (11-11, 3-6 The American) first stop is in Kansas on Friday to take on Wichita State at 8 p.m. The Shockers (9-11, 4-5 The American) have a worse overall record than UConn. However, stronger conference play keeps them a few spots ahead of the Huskies in The American standings.
The Shockers are led by Head Coach Chris Lamb who’s in his 19th season. Last season for Lamb resulted in a program record 15th-straight 20-win season. Just like UConn, Wichita State will be playing to snap a three-game losing streak.
Wichita State presents a roster flourishing with underclassmen, including nine freshmen, seven sophomores, four juniors and two seniors.
After the matchup with Wichita State, UConn will travel south to face Tulsa (14-7, 6-3 The American) on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The Golden Hurricanes enter the weekend in third place in The American Conference standings.
Tulsa has been very solid this season, with two 3-0 wins earlier in the year over the two teams that UConn lost to most recently – Memphis and Tulane.
The Head Coach for the Golden Hurricanes is Ryan Wills. Wills, who attended Tulsa, took over the reins of the program in February of 2014. A year ago, his team led The American with 2,229 digs, signifying the importance of a strong offensive showing for the Huskies.
UConn could benefit from stellar performances by two of their top freshman, Caylee Parker and Anna Petrova. These first-year players enter this weekend leading the team with 3.89 kills per set, and 2.57, respectively. Senior Emma Turner also must be at her best for her teammates, as she posts a squad-best 9.68 assists per set.
It is always challenging to steal a win on the road, however, the Huskies actually possess a better away record (4-3), than home (5-6). If this trend continues, hopefully UConn’s able to come away with at least one win this weekend to avoid falling further down in the The American standings.
Sam Newton is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. He can be reached via email at samuel.newton@uconn.edu.