The UConn women’s volleyball team’s undefeated run came to an end last weekend as they fell to the Marquette Golden Eagles on Friday night in Milwaukee, WI. This was then followed by another loss to No. 6 Creighton on Sunday in Omaha, NE.
UConn opened their Big East play on Friday, Sept. 27, where they faced Marquette University for the 14th time in the program’s history. This game also marked the Huskies’ first loss this season, and Marquette’s 11th consecutive win against UConn. The Huskies have been unable to beat Marquette since 2010, and this time it was no different. Although the Huskies came into this game hopeful and looking to keep their 12-game winning streak going, the Golden Eagles were quick to shut those hopes down.
Both teams came off strong early in the first set and traded points back and forth. Junior Emma Werkmeister put up three early kills to help UConn stay on pace with Marquette’s strong plays. The game tied early at 4-4. Although the Golden Eagles continued to push in the offensive end, graduate student Taylor Pannell and freshman Loren Winn worked hard in the Huskies’ defensive end to keep Marquette at bay. The Golden Eagles continued with their aggressive push, causing UConn to fall behind 17-13. The Huskies attempted a comeback in the end of the first set with junior Hanna Tylska scoring a kill and senior Doga Kutlu a service ace. Despite their best efforts, UConn was unable to come back and Marquette took the first set 25-19.
The Golden Eagles began the second set aggressively as they took a 9-3 lead at the start. The Huskies were unable to find momentum, whereas Marquette kept up with their strong attack, taking six of the next seven points. Tylska and redshirt sophomore Aubrey Rome both scored kills in the second half hoping to keep UConn in the fight, however their efforts were futile as the Golden Eagles took the second set 25-10.
Coming into the third, UConn was hoping to put up a fight as they trailed behind two sets. Tylska and Werkmeister both put up strong performances in the beginning and scored kills that gave the Huskies the lead by one point. Marquette then took the lead. However, Pannell and Tylska kept UConn close, tying the game at 11 points. From then on, the Golden Eagles took the spotlight, winning nine of the next 10 played points, creating a 20-12 lead. Mistakes from the home team and an ace from Kutlu allowed the Huskies to close the gap. Werkmeister and Rome kept the fight going and the Huskies tied the game once again, this time at 24 points. Marquette, however, was relentless and took the third set, winning the game 3-0 and handing the Huskies their first loss all season.
Next up, UConn traveled down to Omaha, NE to face No. 6 in the nation, the Creighton Blue Jays. Much like Marquette, this was a team which the Huskies had an extensive history with and hadn’t won against since 2021. UConn’s streak of bad luck continued on Sunday, where they picked up their second loss this year, once again by a complete shutout.
Creighton started the first set aggressively, winning the first three consecutive points. However, kills from Werkmeister and an ace from sophomore Isabella Suhy kept the Huskies in the run. The Blue Jays continued their strong play as they built an 11-5 lead over the Huskies. Three kills from their junior Elise Goetzinger built Creighton’s lead to 18-10. Consistent offensive plays from the team then handed them the first set 25-16.
The Huskies came into the second set determined to turn the game around. An early ace from junior Brenna Wyman and two kills from Pannell gave UConn a two-point lead early in the set. Creighton fought back, going on a 4-0 run and retaking the lead. Two kills from Tylska kept the huskies from falling too far behind as the Blue Jays kept their 12-9 lead. A strong attack from Creighton extended their advantage to 19-12. Once again, Goetzinger proved herself an indispensable part of the team as she scored a kill to close off the set, giving the Blue Jays a 2-0 advantage going into the third set of the game.
Creighton kept their momentum going into the third and final set as they took a 5-2 lead early on. The Huskies attempted to come back; however, the Blue Jays proved themselves a fierce competitor as they kept extending their lead. In the end, Kutlu scored two aces to try and bring UConn back, however, it wasn’t enough. Creighton still took the third set 25-18, winning the game by 3-0.
This weekend marked UConn’s first two losses this season as they played an undefeated non-conference run. The Huskies currently stand with an 0-2 record in Big East play and will be hoping for a comeback in their following two games next weekend.