The UConn women’s volleyball squad went out with a bang as they wrapped up their season with an electric win against Villanova.
Despite a lengthy season of ups and downs, the Huskies handled their challenges with grace and never failed to maintain their composure. Their hard work undoubtedly paid off in their final match of the season as they triumphed over Villanova in a 3-2 victory.
Following an eight-game losing streak, this win was exactly what the Huskies needed to wrap up the year on a positive note. However, Villanova wasn’t the only competitor in the final weekend sequence. On Friday afternoon, the Huskies fell to Georgetown in a 2-3 contest.
UConn demonstrated immediate success. The Huskies came flying out of the gate and were the first to secure a scoring drive to put them ahead at 3-0. From there, they were able to maintain a healthy lead until the midpoint of the set. The Hoyas came up quickly, though, and tied the contest at 16-16 to intensify the gameplay. Although UConn closed out the set with a win, the Hoyas remained on their heels. Georgetown tied the score again at 22-22, but a service and attack error and a kill by Taylor Pannell sealed the deal for UConn in a 25-22 victory.
The trends reversed in the second set. In a dynamic opening drive, the Hoyas foreshadowed their victory with an early 5-0 lead. The Huskies had trouble recovering from the lead and were unable to close the margin as they trailed the Hoyas for roughly five points for the majority of the contest. As Georgetown was closing in on 25 points, UConn accomplished two kills by Emma Werkmeister and Pannell, but it wasn’t quite enough to push UConn into the lead. Georgetown wrapped up the match with a 25-20 win.
The tide turned once more in the third as the set cycled back to favoring the Huskies. The Huskies maintained a lead for the entirety of the game and were able to nail a swift 25-18 win while Georgetown was hindered by service and attack errors.
With the Huskies leading 2-1, the fourth set could have ended the game. However, it was Georgetown’s turn to take back control. In an intensely fought fourth set, the pair struggled for the advantage. While UConn tried to finish the contest with a set win, the Hoyas successfully halted UConn’s momentum. In the closest set yet, Georgetown was victorious 25-23.
With the score at 2-2, the fifth and final set would determine the winner. Unfortunately, the cards were not in the Huskies’ favor as they fell to the Hoyas 15-11.
Despite their loss, the Huskies’ efforts did not go unnoticed. Earlier this season, the Huskies fell to Georgetown 1-3. This past week’s 2-3 loss demonstrated significant improvements in both offensive and defensive skills. The Huskies also honored seniors Karly Berkland and Cera Powell for senior night.
The next contest of the weekend proved to be a season highlight for the team as they earned their third conference win of the year against No. 5 Villanova.
The first set granted a UConn victory in a closely fought contest, but the second was the longest set of the year. In a 31- 29 battle, Villanova walked away with their first win. The matchup was relentless, but UConn was able to nail kill after kill by players across the board. Each team continued to put more points on the board in attempts to match the skill of their opponent. The game tied at 25-25, then again at 26-26 and once more at 27-27. The contest was unstoppable. Finally, the Wildcats broke away at 29-29 and won 31-29 following two attack errors from UConn.
However, the Huskies cleaned up their gameplay and made a swift comeback in the third set to bring them into a 2-1 set lead. The fourth set could determine the Huskies’ fate, but the Wildcats weren’t ready to give up.
In yet another round of sets, Villanova tied up the score and evened the playing field 2-2. The fifth and final set of the match ultimately swung in UConn’s direction. In an electric 15-9 victory, the Huskies were buzzing.
The final 3-2 triumph over Villanova ended UConn’s tough season on a perfect note for the deserving group of women. Despite challenges, the Huskies never failed to meet their opponent’s intensity week in and week out, demonstrating significant improvements.
UConn finished off the season with a much stronger offensive line, one on par with the higher-ranked conference teams. The Huskies also made sure to stay on the toes of each and every opponent, remaining energetic and dynamic even when trailing.
All in all, the Huskies finished off with a rightful victory to close out a hard-fought season.