UConn kept their momentum from Wednesday as they took on Butler on Saturday, beating the Bulldogs 3-0 to stay undefeated at home. This marked the second matchup between the two programs this season, and for the second time the Huskies swept Butler and took the win.
The Huskies got the first set going and took a slim 4-3 lead over the Bulldogs. A 6-0 run with kills from redshirt sophomore Audrey Rome and freshman Loren Winn extended the Huskies lead to 10-4. The Bulldogs struggled with attack errors which UConn capitalized on. Kills from graduate student Taylor Pannell allowed the Huskies to grow their lead 18-8. As Butler struggled to find their footing, the Huskies continued to dominate. Both Winn and Rome made themselves indispensable in the first set as they scored big points for the Huskies. A final kill by sophomore Grace Maria gave the Huskies the first set 25-13.
The Bulldogs came on the attack at the start of the second set, taking a one-point lead over the Huskies. UConn responded with kills from Maria, Winn and Pannell going on a 5-0 run and taking the lead. The Bulldogs stayed closely behind the Huskies as they put up strong offensive plays. However, the Huskies were not easy to catch as they continued to score points. Kills from senior Doga Kutlu, Rome and Winn put them up 18-12. The Bulldogs attempted to close the gap by going on a three-point run. A kill from Pannell set the Huskies up for their response as they went on a 3-0 run themselves and capitalized on continuous errors from the Bulldogs. After controlling the entire second set, the Huskies took the second 25-20, with a final kill from Rome and a service error from Butler.
The second set also saw the return of junior Emma Werkmeister, who had not seen the court since injuring her ankle earlier in October. Despite missing six games, Werkmeister still leads the team with 40 service aces and is second with 224 kills behind Pannell. Though she didn’t score any kills, she showed herself to be an instrumental part of the team, bringing in assists in the third set of the game.
UConn looked to seal the win going into the third set. The Huskies opened the score early with kills from junior Hanna Tylska and Winn to put them up 7-1. The Bulldogs continued to face the same struggles into the third set. Attack errors plagued the Bulldogs, making it hard for them to score and catch up to UConn. Connecticut continued their relentless attack, scoring seven consecutive points. After a kill from Maria and several attacking errors from the Bulldogs, UConn advanced 16-4. The Huskies extended their lead with kills from Winn, Maria, Kutlu and Rome, bringing the score to 23-9. Final kills from Winn and Pannell brought UConn their twentieth win this season.
This marked the second time this season that Connecticut has swept Butler and continued UConn’s undefeated streak at home.
Though the team put up a strong offensive performance, it was their defense that took the spotlight as they kept the Bulldogs at bay with strong blocks. UConn’s hit percentage was also the second highest of the season in this game, with a .409 team hit percentage.
Next up, the Huskies will travel to South Orange, N.J. to take on Seton Hall for the second time in their conference run. Last time the Huskies faced the Pirates, they emerged victorious 3-1. This has been a stellar season for the Huskies as they have only lost four out of their 24 games and hold an 8-4 conference record. The Huskies will hope to continue this strong run as they head down to New Jersey next week.