The University of Connecticut women’s volleyball team had another successful weekend, winning their matches against Xavier and Butler. These two wins give the team a 9-3 record in Big East play, third only to Marquette and No. 19 Creighton. Overall, the Huskies hold a formidable 17-7 record, cementing themselves as a solid Division I squad.
The first game of the weekend was against Xavier, where UConn toughed out a 3-2 victory. The first set was a back-and-forth affair, with the teams trading points until the Musketeers capitalized on a 10-2 run to take the set with relative ease. Then the Huskies played a bit streaky, starting off the second set 9-3, but they let Xavier come back to make it close midway through at 14-13. At the end of the set, UConn proceeded to rip off a 5-0 run that catapulted them to victory, tying the match at one set apiece.
The third stanza started much like the second did for UConn, as the Huskies pulled out an early lead — only for Xavier to trim it close by the midway point. UConn found some positive momentum in the form of junior Jasmine Davis and senior Kennadie Jake-Turner, as the pair combined for four straight kills en route to the 25-21 set three win.
The following set was, once again, much like the last, but this time Xavier managed to take the lead and hold it to the end, winning 25-21. In the decisive bout, UConn stifled Xavier, while Davis made five kills to send her team to a 15-11 victory.
Senior Caylee Parker continued her fantastic season against Xavier, registering 15 digs and 19 kills, notching yet another double-double, while Davis and Jake-Turner added another 19 and 10 kills, respectively. Defensively, junior Karly Berkland showed out with 22 digs and graduate student McKayla Wuensch tied her personal season high with 44 assists.
The next day, the Huskies took on the Butler Bulldogs, sweeping them 3-0. Butler started off the first set with a small 7-5 lead, but after Davis and junior Allie Garland tied it up at nine all, Jake-Turner helped Connecticut get into a groove, spring-boarding off an 8-1 run to a 25-19 first set victory.
The ensuing set started sloppily, with most of the first points coming via error with UConn in control of an early 9-8 lead. Eventually, however, Butler found its footing and grabbed a 22-20 advantage to put itself on the brink of taking the set. The Huskies rallied, though, and after gritting and grinding, they finally took the second set 32-30. After what was a tense start to the third set, Caylee Parker ignited a 5-0 run that would eventually make the difference — UConn won the final set of the match 25-22 to conclude a sound thumping of the Bulldogs.
Once again, Jake-Turner and Parker were monsters on the attack, putting up 16 and 14 kills, respectively, while Wuensch served up a new season-high of 47 assists.
The women will get some well-earned rest before taking on Georgetown at Gampel Pavilion this Friday, the first of two matches at home before hitting the road once more.
