The Huskies will look to another sequence with Seton Hall and St. John’s, two groups they’ve already fallen to this season. Although the Huskies will be heading into the weekend with three consecutive losses at their backs, they have remained steadfast in their efforts to take on a challenging season.
The last time UConn came face-to-face with Seton Hall was late September when the Huskies fell 0-3. The Pirates came storming out of the gates to blow past the Huskies with a significant scoring margin. Graduate student Madeline Matheny was one of the Pirate’s greatest assets as she nailed a remarkable 15 kills. UConn team leader Emma Werkmeister fought to keep up as she responded with an impressive 12 kills. Seton Hall didn’t stop there and made sure to excel with aces and was able to earn double that of the Huskies. Although it was swiftly beaten by its counterpart, UConn demonstrated exceptional group chemistry which aided its composure in the face of loss.
Regardless of their strong offensive play, Seton Hall will not be facing the same team they did in September. Since then, UConn has significantly improved upon its offensive play and matching the drives of their opponents. On top of this, the Huskies have demonstrated exceptional resilience set after set. With all this in mind, both groups will have their work cut out for them this weekend.
The next opponent will most likely be the toughest of the weekend, St. John’s. When the duo first battled it out earlier this season, St. John’s was occupying the top spot in the conference. Since then, the Red Storm has been knocked down by Creighton to a No. 2 seed.
In the September contest, UConn struggled to keep up with the Red Storm as their court intensity was relentless. The Huskies were also substantially hindered by a series of hitting errors which prevented any offensive progress. While the Red Storm nailed kill after kill, the Huskies were pushed back to a scoring margin of double digits. Unfortunately, the second and third sets finished with an unfavorable score of 25-13.
Although the fall to St. John’s was one of the most consequential losses of the season, the Huskies have been fine-tuning their gameplay to target the Red Storm offense. In addition, since this is their second matchup, the Huskies are now familiar with the Red Storm’s offensive techniques and will be able to target any weak areas in the lineup.
Undeterred by a 2-10 conference record, the Huskies have been able to bounce back week in and week out and remained headstrong.
The weekend contests will also host several festivities. Friday’s matchup will be Flashback Friday (’90s day) and will feature throwback music and a photo booth with props and giveaways. Saturday’s contest is Junior Husky Club day and will host all students eighth-grade and below registered for the club. Eventgoers will be able to participate in a poster-making station, postgame autographs and giveaways.
