Spring Break
Volleyball wraps up regular season
Focus Department
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Sports
UConn's volleyball team heads into the final weekend of regular season action to square off against the University of Cincinnati on Nov. 14 and the University of Louisville on Nov. 15 to end regular season play.
After encouraging victories over Rutgers and Seton Hall last weekend.
UConn looks to extend its good play with wins over Cincinnati and Louisville this weekend on the road
"It's that point of the season where you seriously have no choice; it's do or die," head coach Holly Strauss-O'Brien said, "This weekend we are fighting for our life, and we have the opportunity to finish as high as the fourth seed or as low as the ninth. You better believe we are finding a way to get the fourth."
The Huskies are seventh in the Big East standings with a 14-14 overall record and a 7-5 mark in conference play. A victory will be no small task for UConn, as the Bearcats stand at 20-9 overall on the season with a 10-2 record in Big East action. A win over Cincinnati will go a long way toward securing a spot in the Big East tournament for the Huskies as UConn sits two games ahead of Villanova, West Virginia and Seton Hall for the seventh spot. The Bearcats lead the all-time season series 3-1 over the Huskies, adding extra motivation to Strauss-O'Brien and the team.
"We need to be efficient and terminate. We need to out work Cincinnati, serve tough and play some mad defense," said Strauss-O'Brien, "More importantly, we need to fight."
After their tilt with Cincinnati, the Huskies will head to the Kentucky International Convention Center to take on Louisville Cardinals. Louisville will take on St. John's before rounding out regular season action with UConn. The matchup with the Cardinals will be a good indicator of where the Huskies stand at the end of the season and will provide some valuable experience for the ladies at the Center where the 2009 Big East tournament will be played.
The Huskies, however, will not overlook its two games this weekend in favor of the Big East tournament.
"First, we need to get to the Big East tournament and that begins with us taking care of business this weekend," said Strauss-O'Brien. "Our team has an anxious, intense focus right now and they know what they have to do to get what they want and it's up to them now to create and earn their fate."
Some of the girls' focus and good play was rewarded this week as two members of the team garnered Big East weekly honors. Rookie Mattison Quayle was named Freshman of the Week and senior while Rebecca Murray was named to the Big East Honor Roll for the third time this season. Quayle earned her second Freshman of the Week honors after posting her fourth career double-double at Seton Hall this past Sunday. Murray led the team in kills and blocks this past weekend to help earn her Honor Roll honors.
After encouraging victories over Rutgers and Seton Hall last weekend.
UConn looks to extend its good play with wins over Cincinnati and Louisville this weekend on the road
"It's that point of the season where you seriously have no choice; it's do or die," head coach Holly Strauss-O'Brien said, "This weekend we are fighting for our life, and we have the opportunity to finish as high as the fourth seed or as low as the ninth. You better believe we are finding a way to get the fourth."
The Huskies are seventh in the Big East standings with a 14-14 overall record and a 7-5 mark in conference play. A victory will be no small task for UConn, as the Bearcats stand at 20-9 overall on the season with a 10-2 record in Big East action. A win over Cincinnati will go a long way toward securing a spot in the Big East tournament for the Huskies as UConn sits two games ahead of Villanova, West Virginia and Seton Hall for the seventh spot. The Bearcats lead the all-time season series 3-1 over the Huskies, adding extra motivation to Strauss-O'Brien and the team.
"We need to be efficient and terminate. We need to out work Cincinnati, serve tough and play some mad defense," said Strauss-O'Brien, "More importantly, we need to fight."
After their tilt with Cincinnati, the Huskies will head to the Kentucky International Convention Center to take on Louisville Cardinals. Louisville will take on St. John's before rounding out regular season action with UConn. The matchup with the Cardinals will be a good indicator of where the Huskies stand at the end of the season and will provide some valuable experience for the ladies at the Center where the 2009 Big East tournament will be played.
The Huskies, however, will not overlook its two games this weekend in favor of the Big East tournament.
"First, we need to get to the Big East tournament and that begins with us taking care of business this weekend," said Strauss-O'Brien. "Our team has an anxious, intense focus right now and they know what they have to do to get what they want and it's up to them now to create and earn their fate."
Some of the girls' focus and good play was rewarded this week as two members of the team garnered Big East weekly honors. Rookie Mattison Quayle was named Freshman of the Week and senior while Rebecca Murray was named to the Big East Honor Roll for the third time this season. Quayle earned her second Freshman of the Week honors after posting her fourth career double-double at Seton Hall this past Sunday. Murray led the team in kills and blocks this past weekend to help earn her Honor Roll honors.
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