Pirates Head to Providence, UConn This Weekend - Seton Hall University Athletics
Seton Hall will head back on the road for a pair of BIG EAST Conference matches this weekend. The Pirates will face Providence in Rhode Island on Friday, Oct...
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2024 at 5:00 PM
SETON HALL (6-7, 0-2) vs. PROVIDENCE (7-6, 0-2)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - ALUMNI HALL
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2024 at 4:00 PM
SETON HALL (6-7, 0-2) vs. CONNECTICUT (12-2, 0-2)
STORRS, CONN. - UCONN VOLLEYBALL CENTER
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WEEKLY STATS REPORT: SETON HALL
2024 BIG EAST STANDINGS
2024 BIG EAST STATISTICAL LEADERS
PREVIEW
Seton Hall will head back on the road for a pair of BIG EAST Conference matches this weekend. The Pirates will face Providence in Rhode Island on Friday, Oct. 3 at 5:00 p.m. The following day, The Hall will play Connecticut in Storrs at 4:00 p.m.
MEDIA
Both contests will be available for FloSports subscribers this weekend. Both matches will also have live stats available.
HALL NOTES
- Seton Hall currently ranks second in the BIG EAST with 16.06 digs per set, while sophomore Rylee Nelson leads all individuals with 4.62 per set.
- The Pirates have three players that rank in the BIG EAST top-10 in service aces per set, Asli Subasili (third), Reagan Merk (fourth) and Jenna Walsh (ninth).
- The Hall closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 6-5 record.
- Reagan Merk has collected a double-double in the last six matches and has a team-best seven this season.
- Seton Hall's last eight matches have all been four-set affairs (4-4).
- Perri Lucas is approaching the 1,000 kills milestone for her career. She enters the weekend with 984 career kills.
- Maddy Loiselle ranks fifth in the BIG EAST with a .346 attack percentage.
Seton Hall and Providence will meet for the 42nd time in history on Friday with the Pirates owning a 23-18 lead in the prior 41 matches. The Hall has largely dominated the series in recent years having won the last three meetings and 19 of the last 22. Last year, The Hall swept the home-and-home series, sweeping the Friars in Walsh Gym and winning in four sets at Alumni Hall.
The Friars are coming off a 9-21 season in 2023, which included a 3-15 mark in BIG EAST play. Providence closed the season with a five-set victory over Georgetown on Senior Day which snapped an 11-game losing streak.
This season, Providence was picked to finish last in the 11-team BIG EAST according to the preseason coaches' poll. Seton Hall was selected seventh. The Friars are returning 13 players from last year's roster and have added four newcomers. Highlighting the returning core are sophomores Lyric Berry and Miller McDonald and seniors Kayla Grant and Shaliyah Rhoden. Berry, who was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team, led the Friars in solo blocks (28), was second on the team in total blocks (97) and ranked fourth in kills (159).
Providence enters its contest against Seton Hall with a 7-6 overall record and an 0-2 mark in BIG EAST play. The Friars were swept twice last weekend on the road to open BIG EAST play against arguably the top two teams in the conference, Creighton and Marquette. Grant currently leads the BIG EAST with a .414 attack percentage, while Audrey Kocon is second in the conference with 0.53 service aces per set.
SCOUTING CONNECTICUT
Seton Hall and Connecticut will renew their rivalry on Saturday when the Pirates visit Storrs, Conn. The Huskies own a 21-15 all-time series lead, but The Hall has won the last four matches between the teams. Last year, the Pirates swept UConn twice.
Connecticut is coming off an 8-22 season in 2023, which included a 3-15 mark in BIG EAST play. Like Providence, UConn closed its season with a five-set victory over Villanova, which snapped an eight-match losing streak.
This season, the Huskies were picked to finish ninth in the 11-team BIG EAST according to the preseason coaches' poll. Seton Hall was selected seventh. The Huskies return key contributors across the board. Junior outside hitter Emma Werkmeister looks to build on a strong 2023 season, after leading the team with 340 kills and 29 service aces. Werkmeister registered 3.23 kills per set in BIG EAST conference play, which ranked seventh in the conference. Senior setter Doga Kutlu also returns. She had 836 service assists in 2023, and 8.77 per set in conference play, sixth in the BIG EAST.
The Huskies swept the non-conference portion of their schedule, winning all 12 contests, but suffered their first losses of the season as BIG EAST play began last weekend. Like Providence, UConn was swept by both Marquette and Creighton on Friday and Sunday, which dropped their record to 12-2. The Huskies lead the BIG EAST with 2.19 service aces per set, and Werkmeister leads all individuals at 0.76. Werkmeister is also second in the BIG EAST with 3.92 kills per set.
UP NEXT
Next week, The Hall will return to the friendly confines of Walsh Gymnasium when it hosts Xavier on Friday, Oct. 11 at 5:00 p.m. and DePaul on Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1:00 p.m.
