STORRS, Conn. – Villanova volleyball closed out its regular season with a loss, falling in five sets (22-25, 31-29, 23-25, 25-18, 9-15) to the Connecticut Huskies on Saturday evening.
Three players totaled double-doubles for Villanova (17-13, 8-10 BIG EAST), as Abby Harrell earned her seventh of the year with a match-high 18 kills along with 13 digs. Skylar Gerhardt tallied her third double-double of the season with 14 kills and 10 digs, plus Andrea Campos (ninth double-double) contributed 48 assists and 11 digs.
Tara Garvey put forth her season-best 13 kills, while Kiera Booth added 13 terminations at a season-high .550 clip and Taryn Whittingham led the 'Cats with 17 digs.
It was the Huskies getting some early advantages in the match, prompting a pair of Villanova timeouts in the first period with the hosts up 12-6 then 18-8. The Wildcats clawed their way back into it and chipped away at the lead until it was just one, 23-22. But UConn got the two points needed, using a block and a VU attack error to ultimately capture the opening stanza.
Neither squad could establish a big lead to open the second set, up until a 4-0 Wildcat string forced a Husky timeout. UConn tied it back up at 13-13, then Villanova established an edge at five points before the hosts once again fought back and re-claimed the lead at 22-20. The 'Cats got down at set point but fended off two in a row, then outlasted the Huskies in extras to tie the match at one set apiece.
UConn jumped out to a 10-4 advantage in the third frame, using a 5-0 run to force an early VU pause. Garvey almost single-handedly got the Wildcats back into it, racking up seven kills in the first half of the period to get the score within one. But Connecticut beat Villanova to the punch, outlasting the visitors 25-23 for another one set edge.
After a 10-5 Wildcat lead to start the fourth stanza, the Huskies strung together five before Villanova took six of seven to capture a 16-11 lead. VU kept up that momentum the rest of the way and stormed to a 25-18 win, forcing a fifth in the final regular season contest of the year.
The fifth game featured a 7-4 beginning edge for the 'Cats, then a 4-0 Connecticut stretch turned the tides and gave the hosts a two-point lead that quickly turned into a 15-9 victory for the hosts to close out the regular season.
UP NEXT: After Seton Hall's loss tonight to lock the Wildcats into the sixth seed, Villanova moves on to the BIG EAST Tournament with the opening round set for Wednesday in Milwaukee.
