University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Ready for BIG EAST Play This Weekend
9/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
BIG EAST Play Begins
On Friday, September 21, Connecticut travels to Rutgers for a 7 p.m. match, the first of twelve BIG EAST contests for the Huskies this season. With only the top four teams from the regular season being invited to the BIG EAST Tournament in November, UConn must match or better its fourth place regular season finish from last season. The Rutgers match begins the journey for the Huskies.
The Scarlet Knights pose a formidable test for the Huskies, as Rutgers was selected to finish third in the preseason BIG EAST poll. (UConn finished fourth in the voting.) History is on Connecticut’s side, with the Huskies owning a 11-6 advantage all-time in the series. In the last meeting, Rutgers dominated UConn in a 3-0 victory on October 1, 2000.
If the Huskies are to avenge the loss, they will have to defend against a potent Scarlet Knight offense that leads the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.260), kills (15.92 per game) and assists (14.38 per game). Rutgers is paced by a stellar trio, including preseason All-BIG EAST selection Shayla Bush, who is averaging 4.46 kills per game this season. Junior setter Pualani Tuyay leads the BIG EAST and is ranked 33rd nationally in assists per game (12.33) while junior Lauren Venarchik is a strong force on both offense and defense, registering a .321 hitting percentage and 1.08 blocks per game.
On Sunday, the Huskies travel down to Villanova, PA, for a 2 p.m. match versus the Wildcats. Villanova owns a 15-10 advantage all-time versus Connecticut, but UConn took the last contest with a 3-0 victory at Villanova last season on November 5.
Villanova is led by junior outside hitter Leah Mathews, who ranks in the top ten in the BIG EAST in kills per game with 3.32. She is joined on the conference individual leaders list by sophomore setter Jennifer Edwards, who has 258 assists this season for an average of 8.60 per game. The Wildcats rank fifth in the BIG EAST in team digs per game with 15.42.
A Look Back: California Homecoming
The Huskies have not played a match since the weekend of September 7-8 when they traveled out West for the Nike Pacific Challenge, hosted by University of the Pacific. The tournament marked a homecoming of sorts for the eight UConn players that hail from the Golden State. For sophomore setter , the competition was a literal homecoming, as Erbez calls Stockton, CA, home.
Pacific, then-ranked eighth nationally, claimed the tournament title, but the Huskies posted a 2-1 record, defeating Big Ten foe Northwestern, 3-2, on Friday night and rolling over 2000 Atlantic 10 champion George Washington, 3-0, on Saturday. UConn’s loss came to Pacific in a 3-0 defeat on Saturday afternoon.
UConn was led on the Nike Pacific Challenge All-Tournament team by Erbez and junior outside hitter (Ridgecrest, CA). Wooley, who ranks first among the Huskies in kills, finished the tournament with 35 kills and 32 digs, posting double-doubles in kills and digs against Northwestern and Pacific. The Colonials of George Washington thwarted Wooley’s streak of seven straight matches in 2001 with double digit kills as she registered seven in the 3-0 victory.
In front of an average attendance of 1,852 in her hometown, Erbez notched 70 assists and 31 digs and had double-doubles in assists and digs versus Northwestern and George Washington. Sophomore outside hitter (Ridgecrest, CA) also performed admirably, finishing with 32 kills and a team-high 43 digs, including a new career-high 20 against Northwestern.
Making Their Mark
Freshman outside hitter (Benicia, CA) continues to impress early in her Husky career. Hadenfeldt notched 29 kills and 26 digs in the Nike Pacific Challenge, after registering 14 kills and 18 digs in the first weekend of competition at the IKON Husky Classic. Hadenfeldt also posted two double-doubles in Stockton, the first of her career, and established a new career-high in kills with 13 against Northwestern and George Washington. Her hitting accuracy against the Wildcats and the Colonials was equally impressive, as she registered .345 and .500 hitting percentages, respectively.
UConn’s other two freshmen, (Bargersville, IN) and (Irvine, CA), have also contributed early in the season. Conover has appeared in four games, tallying one kill, while Kincheloe made her first collegiate appearance against Pacific on September 8.
The Villanova Connection
UConn graduate assistant coach , in her first season with the Huskies, is a 2001 graduate of Villanova. Sunday’s match against the Wildcats marks a return to her alma mater, where Eddinger served as the team captain over the last two seasons. A member of the BIG EAST Conference Academic All-Star Team during the 1998-99 season, Eddinger finished her collegiate career ranked fourth on the Villanova all-time list in career assists, sixth in career kills, and sixth in career kills per game.
The Best Offense Is A Good Defense...
Or so the saying goes. The Huskies have managed to excel at both this season, ranking among the top five in several BIG EAST statistical categories. On offense, UConn ranks fourth in hitting percentage (.212) and second in kills per game (15.00). Their potent offense is balanced by a strong defense that ranks fourth in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.171) and third in digs (16.36).
