University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
9-13, 3-7AAC
University of Tulsa
13-10, 6-4AAC
Huskies Rally to Beat Tulsa
10/27/2019 3:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
STORRS, Conn. – The UConn volleyball team snapped a seven-game losing skid on Sunday afternoon after defeating Tulsa (13-10, 6-4 American). The Huskies (9-13, 3-7 American) grab a much needed conference win, taking down the Golden Hurricane 3-1 at Gampel Pavilion.
How it Happened
Tulsa jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the first set. UConn continued to battle and cut into the lead, but could not quite catch the Golden Hurricane. After a 6-3 Husky run, Tulsa called a timeout, leading 20-18. The Golden Hurricane would go on to win the set 25-20. Despite dropping the first set, the Huskies were determined to come away with the victory. An early 6-2 UConn lead in set two forced Tulsa to take a timeout. The Huskies kept rolling after the break, forcing Tulsa into a second timeout, trailing 9-3. UConn continued to push the pace and took the set 25-19 to tie the match.
A pivotal third set began with the teams exchanging points, deadlocked at 6-6. UConn called timeout after Tulsa went ahead 9-6. Once again, the Huskies battled back and tied the game before taking a crucial 17-15 lead, forcing another Tulsa timeout. The Huskies pulled ahead and took a close third set by a score of 25-23. The fourth and final set belonged entirely to the Huskies. UConn jumped out to an early lead and did not look back. Tulsa was forced into taking both timeouts before the midway mark of the set. Following the second timeout, the Huskies built on their 13-8 lead and found a rhythm. UConn dominated both offensively and defensively and took the set 25-11, and the match 3-1.
Balanced Team Win
The Huskies were strong both offensively and defensively in Sunday's match. UConn recorded 15 total team blocks, stifling the Tulsa attack. Sophomore Caylee Parker led the way with her ninth double-double of the season, tallying 15 kills and 16 digs. Fellow sophomore Kennadie Jake-Turner recorded a team-high seven total blocks and added seven kills. R-Sophomore Courtney Morris had a team-high 38 assists and added 14 digs. Junior Ally Barrett hit at .227 on the afternoon, recording seven kills and adding 12 digs. R-Junior Genna Florig grabbed eight kills, seven digs, and six total blocks on the afternoon. A pair of freshman had great performances again for the Huskies. Mia Ruffolo recorded a team-high 17 digs and Jasmine Davis tallied eight kills and 15 digs.
Keeping the Momentum
After the match, Head Coach Ellen Herman-Kimball said, "It's difficult not to focus on the results following a seven-game losing streak. That's why we implement taking care of the process." Coach Herman-Kimball stressed the importance of the team's practices and "reinforcing the positives, but really paying attention to the process of improving each week." When asked about the importance of the win, Herman-Kimball said, "It was a phenomenal team win today. It was a huge conference win for us, but we can't get complacent. We still have a lot of games left, but this is a great start to building that momentum for next weekend."
Up Next
The Huskies hit the road for two conference matchups with East Carolina and Cincinnati. UConn will face the Pirates on Friday, November 1st at 7:00pm in Greenville, N.C. before heading to Cincinnati to take on the Bearcats on Sunday, November 3rd at 12:00pm.
