The UConn volleyball team (16-6 overall and 5-5 in the Big East) is coming off a weekend split with a loss to No. 11 Creighton and a victory over Providence. Now, they must travel to St. John’s and Seton Hall this weekend as they look to pick up key conference wins.
Last week, the Huskies proved their dominance at the service line with a program-best 20 aces against Providence. Senior opposite hitter Emma Werkmeister moved to No. 1 in the nation in service aces with 56 on the season. She has been key to UConn’s offense, leading the team with 302 kills. Graduate student Doga Kutlu has continued to effectively conduct the offense with 9.27 assists per set.
St. John’s (6-17 overall and 2-8 in the conference) is currently on a three-game losing streak and has faced numerous struggles this season. Their first meeting with the Huskies was a 3-1 loss in Storrs, but the Red Storm kept it fairly competitive early on. Senior setter Erin Jones leads the Red Storm in scoring with 268 kills on the season. She is coming off a strong weekend with two straight triple doubles, earning her a spot on the Big East honor roll. Junior libero Rashanny Solano Smith also provides a strong defensive presence, sitting at second in the conference in digs per set. The Red Storm should not be taken lightly and could prove to be a challenge for the Huskies this week.
Seton Hall (6-15 overall and 0-10 in the conference) have yet to earn their first win in Big East play this year. They dropped matches against Butler and Xavier last week and will return home to host the Huskies on Saturday. UConn won the first matchup between the two in four sets. Freshman opposite hitter Sadie Reich leads the Pirates with 3.48 kills per set, while sophomore setter Gwen Adler directs the attack with 5.87 assists per attack. Junior libero Rylee Nelson has been the cornerstone of their defense with 3.58 digs per set, good for fifth in the Big East. Seton Hall has struggled to figure it out this year, sitting last in the conference in most major statistics. However, the Huskies must still play as hard as ever against a Pirates squad hungry for their first conference win.
UConn is sixth in the Big East standings, barely holding onto the last spot in the conference tournament going into the final month of the regular season. DePaul and Butler are right behind them, with only one game separating the three. The Huskies must take care of business this weekend to stay in control of their destiny as the end of the season grows near.
The match at St. John’s begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31, followed by the Seton Hall match at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1. Both games can be streamed live on ESPN+.