After winning both of their games last weekend against Georgetown and Seton Hall and putting a stop to what could have been a downward spiral, the Huskies will move forward to face Providence on Wednesday. UConn will be looking to keep their positive momentum and take the win to build on the program’s best season yet.
The Friars (7-8) have had a less than ideal season so far, having lost all their conference games and struggling through a four-game losing streak. Providence’s roster will include senior Shaliyah Rhoden who leads the Friars with 163 kills. The Friars also feature senior Kayla Grant who leads the team defensively with 58 blocks and trails just behind Rhoden with 121 kills. This will be the eighth time that the programs come head-to-head. UConn has proved themselves to be a challenging competitor for Providence over the past couple of years as their history includes a four-game winning streak. Providence will be hoping to put an end to their dry spell, and win their first conference game and beat the Huskies for the first time in four years.
However, this won’t be an easy feat for the Friars as the Huskies will also bring a strong lineup to the match. UConn junior, Emma Werkmeister, has shown great success so far this season and leads the Huskies with 221 kills and 40 service aces. Werkmeister scored her 200th kill last weekend in the match against Georgetown and also delivered 29 addition kills last weekend. The Huskies will also be bringing a strong defensive squad, including redshirt sophomore Audrey Rome who leads the team with 63 blocks. Another player who has shown great success with the Huskies has been senior Doga Kutlu. Kutlu was recognized for reaching 1,000 assists in her UConn career on Friday night before the Huskies match against Georgetown. She then went on to have 75 more assists in the following two games.
The matchup will take place at the UConn Volleyball Center at Storrs on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. It will also be streamed through Flo Sports. The contest will be dedicated to Mental Health Awareness and faculty and staff appreciation. The Huskies will come into this matchup with high hopes of extending their winning streak and continuing what has been a really successful season.