University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
11-1,0-0Big East
Sacred Heart
3-9,0-0MAAC
Volleyball Moves to 11-1, Sweeping Sacred Heart Sunday Afternoon
9/21/2025 5:06:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
STORRS, Conn. — UConn volleyball swept Sacred Heart (25-18, 25-19, 25-20) on Sunday at UConn Volleyball Center, capping off the UConn Classic without dropping a set in three matches.
UConn capitalized on Sacred Heart's errors to gain an early 6-3 lead, as Grace Maria (Arlington, Va.) led the charge for the Huskies with three early kills. A combination of Sacred Heart errors and blocks from Audrey Rome (Sandwich, Ill.) and Doga Kutlu (Ankara, Turkey) kept the Huskies in front, maintaining an 18-14 lead. Despite Sacred Heart's attempts to rally, UConn maintained control with consistent scoring, aided by kills from Maria and Emma Werkmeister (Victor, N.Y.) to take the first set 25-18.
The Huskies opened the second frame with a 7-2 advantage, fueled by an ace by Isabella Suhy (Toledo, Oh.) and blocks from Rome and Kutlu. Sacred Heart responded with a brief rally, as Miliani Villarreal delivered consecutive service aces to bring the score to 7-5, as the Pioneers continued to battle, closing the gap to just 15-14. UConn responded with a 5-0 run, with two aces from Werkmeister sandwiching blocks from Maria, Kutlu and Rome. Dajah Williams (Williamstown, N.J.) poured in her first kill of the season, and Jordyn Hughes (Portage, Mich.) and Loren Winn (Dallas, Texas) combined for a block to lift UConn to a 25-19 second set victory.
The sides were locked in a competitive battle in the early stages, with the score tied 10-10 after multiple lead changes. UConn gained momentum with key contributions from Rome and Werkmeister, pulling ahead 18-15. Winn, Werkmeister and Rome were clutch down the stretch to push the Huskies to their third straight sweep of the weekend, claiming the third set 25-20. With the win, UConn finished preseason play 11-1, remaining undefeated at the UConn Volleyball Center in 2025 (7-0).
Werkmeister led with eight kills on a .412 hitting percentage, adding five digs as well. Rome anchored the UConn defense with eight total blocks, including three solo. Kutlu facilitated the offense with 28 assists and added six total blocks. McKenna Brand (Lucas, Texas) recorded 16 digs in the victory.
UConn begins BIG EAST play on Friday night, traveling to Chicago to face DePaul at 8:00 pm.
