The UConn women’s volleyball team is headed into another three-game weekend series for the Dog Pound Challenge this Friday through Sunday. With another busy weekend lineup, the team will be ready to face some new and some old competitors.
Last weekend, the Huskies participated in the Yale Tournament and added two wins to their season record. Sacred Heart University was the first matchup of the weekend and UConn left nothing to chance. In a 3-0 shutout, the Huskies were on a roll.
Next in the series featured the University of Rhode Island. The Rams proved to wield a higher level of competition and secured a win in the first set. Despite this, UConn wasn’t discouraged and came into set two stronger than before. Although Rhode Island followed closely on the Huskies’ heels and both teams went back and forth holding the lead. UConn was able to finish the matchup with a 3-2 win. Sophomore and team leader in kills, Emma Werkmeister, has proven to be unstoppable this season and rolled in a whopping 15 kills. Redshirt Junior Taylor Pannell followed right behind with 14.
Going into the third and final matchup of the weekend, UConn was in the groove. Although Yale put an end to UConn’s undefeated weekend in a 1-3 loss for the Huskies, Connecticut demonstrated new levels of offensive aggression in their gameplay.
Looking ahead to this weekend’s Dog Pound Challenge, UConn will face Michigan State, Birmingham University and Brown.
For the first event of the challenge, the Huskies will go head-to-head with Michigan State. The Spartans currently maintain a 5-3 record and were holding a four-game winning streak until a matchup with Duke. The Spartans are looking to be close competitors for the Huskies opening game this weekend.
From there, Connecticut will take on Binghamton University. Both teams have gone head-to-head with Merrimack College earlier this season and both have pulled out a win. Since the teams seem to be evenly matched, it will be critical to see how UConn’s offense takes on the game.
The final game of the weekend will be one of the hardest. UConn will face Brown University. The Bears are currently ranked No. 1 in the Ivy League Conference and are on a seven-game winning streak this season with a perfect record. Last season, the two teams went head-to-head and the Huskies’ were able to bring home a 3-1 win. Since then, both teams have endured several roster changes and have demonstrated differing strengths and weaknesses. It will be critical to see how the teams approach the challenge.
Despite a busy weekend, UConn has a fair shot at conquering all three teams on the court. Although Brown may be the toughest competition yet, it will give the Huskies a newfound challenge and an opportunity to perfect their play.
