This weekend, the Huskies traveled to South Orange, N.J. to face Seton Hall in their Big East opener on Friday. Over five sets, the Huskies put up a fight but lost 3-2 against the Pirates.
Seton Hall had a strong start coming into this game and got an early 9-5 lead against UConn.
Senior Caylee Parker played a large role in preventing the Pirates from building their leads. She fired multiple kills against the Pirates to shorten their lead. Parker recorded 17 kills, two blocks and three aces making her the games leader in those stats. The first set was a tight battle between the two teams but Seton Hall finished it off with a 25-23 win.
In the second set, neither team was able to take a lead over two points. Ultimately, Seton Hall took the set with a 26-24 victory, giving the Pirates a two-set lead.
After Seton Hall took a significant lead over the Huskies, UConn fought back to win the third set, 25-15, and the fourth set, 25-20. Junior Jasmine Davis finished those two sets with nine kills, helping the Huskies comeback and prepare for a game-deciding set against the Pirates.
In the fifth set, Seton Hall once again got the lead. The Huskies tried to make their way back up but dropped the final set to Seton Hall 15-12.
The Huskies looked to have a quick turnaround as they made a trip to Queens, N.Y. to play St. John’s on Saturday. Unfortunately for UConn, the Huskies also dropped the game 3-2, in another tough battle.
Like the Seton Hall match, this game was back and forth for its entirety. Once again, Parker kept the Huskies within striking distance in the first set against the Red Storm. Right from the start, neither team would back down, but St. John’s eventually won the first set 36-34. Senior Kennadie Jake-Turner finished the first set with six kills. Jake-Turner ended the game with 16 kills and nine blocks. Another key player for the Huskies was Davis, who helped UConn secure the win in the second set. Davis finished the game with 21 kills, four blocks and one ace. In a close matchup, the teams split the next two sets, making for a winner take all fifth set.
UConn and St. John’s teams fought it out in the last set. Both having to take timeouts after losing their leads. The Huskies fought back from a 12-8 deficit but couldn’t finish the job. St. John’s took the fifth set with a final score of 15-12.
Although this wasn’t the ideal weekend for UConn, it was just the beginning of a long season full of Big East games. It leaves a ton of opportunity for the Huskies to rise up and make their mark on the Big East Tournament. Still on the road, the Huskies look to bounce back against Marquette on Friday and DePaul on Saturday. They will then return home to Storrs on Oct. 7 to face Creighton.
