University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
Xavier
Huskies Battle Xavier and Butler This Weekend
10/8/2025 1:38:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
STORRS, Conn.—UConn women's volleyball hits the road this weekend for two BIG EAST conference matchups. The Huskies will take on the Xavier Musketeers on Friday night before squaring off against the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday night.
Scouting the Huskies (13-3, 2-2 BIG EAST)
After dropping their first two conference matches, the Huskies bounced back last weekend with home wins over Seton Hall and St. John's, each in four sets. Doga Kutlu (Ankara, Turkey) ran the offense for the Huskies, averaging 12.13 assists and 3.75 digs per set, earning BIG EAST Setter of the Week honors. Kutlu recorded 56 assists in the win over St. John's, the most in her UConn career. Hanna Tylska (Sroda Wielkopolska, Poland) recorded a season-high 16 kills against Seton Hall on .560 hitting. Emma Werkmeister (Victor, N.Y.) led the UConn attack, averaging 3.75 kills per set over the weekend and adding 1.25 aces per set. Werkmeister leads the conference and ranks seventh in the nation with .65 aces per set, tying her career-high with seven against Seton Hall. As a team, UConn ranks fifth nationally with 2.28 aces per set. The Huskies tied their single-game season-high with 16 aces against Seton Hall. Audrey Rome (Sandwich, Ill.) has contributed on both sides for the Huskies. Rome leads UConn with 50.0 total blocks and has 134 kills this season.
Opposition Research
The Huskies will face the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center on Friday night. Xavier enters the weekend with a 14-2 record and a 3-1 mark in BIG EAST play. UConn and Xavier split their meetings last season, with each side protecting home court. Xavier went 10-18 last season, going 8-10 in BIG EAST play. Emma Grace leads the Musketeers with 210 kills (3.56 per set). Grace had 23 kills and 13 digs in Xavier's five-set victory over Villanova. Macy Hatkevich conducts the Xavier offense with 552 assists on the season (9.05 assists per set). Hatkevich was named BIG EAST Setter of the Week on September 8th. Margo Kemp anchors the Xavier defense with a team-high 69 total blocks (1.13 per set). Kemp and McKenna Brand (Lucas, Texas) shared 2024 BIG EAST Co-Freshman of the Year honors.
UConn will take on Butler on Saturday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs have a 7-10 record and enter the weekend in pursuit of their first conference win. UConn took both meetings in straight sets last season. Butler went 7-23 last season and 5-13 in conference play. Aaleh Tolliver powers the Butler attack, with a team-high 242 kills (4.61 per set). Kaylee Finnegan is Butler's primary setter, notching 581 helpers this season (9.85 assists per set). Lauren Evans leads the Bulldogs with 261 digs (4.28 digs per set), and Zoe McDonald has a team-high 60 blocks (1.00 per set).
Watch and Follow: The match against Xavier will be streamed on goxavier.com at 6:00 pm on Friday night. The match against Butler will be on streamed on ESPN+ at 5:00pm on Saturday evening. Follow UConn volleyball on Instagram and X @UConnvball and on Facebook with the keyword search "UConn Volleyball."
