University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Primed for Key BIG EAST Contests
10/25/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
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STORRS, CT (October 25, 2001)-- The Huskies play three home matches this week, including two against BIG EAST rivals Seton Hall and St. John’s. The match against St. John’s will be pivotal for a UConn bid in the BIG EAST Tournament. Currently, St. John’s and Connecticut are tied for fourth place in the conference with the top four teams being invited to the tournament, which will be held Nov. 16-18 in Pittsburgh, PA.
Scouting Seton Hall
The Huskies bring a six-match winning streak against the Pirates into today’s match. In fact, UConn has swept its BIG EAST foe from New Jersey in the past three meetings between the schools. Connecticut will have to be on top of its game to keep both streaks intact, as the Pirates rank third in hitting percentage (.240) and first in service aces per game (eighth nationally with 2.68) in the BIG EAST conference.
Seton Hall is paced by a trio of hitters, all of whom average approximately three kills a game. Leading the Pirate charge is Jackie Neely, who ranks first on the team in kills (3.05) and service aces (0.54) per game. Jenna Meyers registers 3.04 kills per game and a team-leading 2.57 digs per game while Kari Belin averages 2.99 kills per game and a .330 hitting percentage. Shawn McDonald, this week’s BIG EAST Rookie of the Week, is Seton Hall’s setter with 9.77 assists per game.
Currently, the Pirates are .500 in the conference with a 3-3 record. They are coming off a 3-0 upset over St. John’s Sunday in Jamaica, NY.
A Look Back: Slamming the Rams
For the second Wednesday in a row, the Huskies faced the Rams. Only this time the matchup was not with Rhode Island, but another Atlantic 10 foe: Fordham. With several key BIG EAST matches looming, head coach Kelli Myers took the nonconference opportunity to experiment with UConn’s lineup. Several players, including freshmen (Benicia, CA) and Brittany Conover (Bargersville, IN), saw extensive time for the Huskies.
Hadenfeldt made the most of the opportunity, racking up a double-double with a career-high 14 kills and 12 digs. Junior (Ridgecrest, CA) blasted 27 kills, one short of tying a career high, and recorded 10 digs with a .327 hitting percentage. Sophomore (Stockton, CA) also had a double-double for UConn, who improved to 15-5 after the 3-1 victory.
Worthy Wooley
Junior (Ridgecrest, CA) continued her recent assault on opposing teams with a game-high 27 kills against Fordham. The Rams could muster no defense for Wooley, who hit .327 in the match. Her 27 kills were one short of tying a career high, set earlier this month against Pittsburgh. Since the Pittsburgh match, Wooley’s offensive game has risen to a new level. The 6-0 outside hitter has nailed 103 kills in the past five matches, good for 5.72 a game. She has also hit .283 during this stretch and increased her kills per game season average from 4.06 to 4.51. The Oct. 15 BIG EAST Co-Player of the Week, Wooley has surged into a tie for eighth place with Stephanie Schindel on UConn’s career kills list with 884.
Freshman Phenom
She might be just a freshman, but outside hitter (Benicia, CA) has become a major contributor for Connecticut this season. Hadenfeldt notched her third double-double of the season Wednesday against Fordham with 12 digs and a career-high 14 kills. For the season, Hadenfeldt is averaging 1.72 kills per game (sixth best on the team) and 2.42 digs per game (fifth best on the team).
There’s No Place Like Home...
The Huskies find themselves in the middle of a four-match homestand, a situation they wouldn’t mind seeing more often. UConn is 10-2 in Gampel Pavilion this season, bringing their all-time record in Gampel to 91-19 for a .827 winning percentage. After tonight’s contest with Seton Hall, UConn has two remaining home matches: St. John’s this Sunday and a November 10 matchup with Providence, the Huskies last home match of the season and Senior Night for UConn’s lone senior, setter Maria Shaker (Fairview Park, OH).
