Volleyball Looking To Bounce Back Against Northeastern

After suffering their first loss of the season, UConn (7-1) will be looking to take out their frustration on Northeastern (5-6) tonight at 7 p.m. The Huskies, who haven't hosted a match since Aug. 25, are eager to get back on the court and move on from last weekend's 3-1 defeat at the hands of St. Louis.

"Last weekend was a wake-up call for us," said setter Bridget Denson-Dorman. "We're pumped up and ready to come out and defend our home court."

Though Northeastern's record may not indicate it, they are a strong team who has played a rigorous non-conference schedule early in the season. Northeastern, also named the Huskies, suffered road losses at No. 12 California, No. 25 Middle Tennessee State and Boston College, but played each team closely and will not be intimidated when they come into Gampel Pavilion.

Aside from their names, UConn and Northeastern share some other common traits. Like the Huskies, Northeastern relies heavily on freshmen after losing six starters from a year ago. Of the eight freshmen on the roster, one in particular has emerged as a star. Versatile setter Britney Brown has been one of the top players in the conference thus far, as she leads the Huskies with 5.95 assists per game. She also contributes 2.26 kills, 1.92 digs and a team-high 0.68 blocks per contest. Most of Brown's assists go to the team's two veteran offensive threats, senior captain Kira Batura and junior Lauren DeTurk.

Batura, who led Northeastern with 3.13 kills per game last year, has seen her offensive numbers fall off a bit, but has stepped up her game on the defensive end, as she is second on the team with 3.46 digs per game. DeTurk has taken a huge step forward from last season. The 6-foot-3 outside hitter is leading the team with 3.26 kills per game and also is chipping in 2.46 digs per contest.

Some of the players also share some common roots. Two of the players in tonight's match grew up together in the same hometown. Northeastern sophomore libero Leah Neubeck and UConn's Denson-Dorman both hail from Golden Valley, Minn. and were teammates at Hopkins High School. Denson-Dorman's success at the college level has been well documented, but the 5-foot-3 Neubeck has made Golden Valley residents proud as well. She is one of the best defensive players in the Colonial Athletic Association, as evidenced by her team-high 3.97 digs per game, which ranks fourth in the entire conference. Denson-Dorman is eager to do battle against her friend and former teammate.

"Honestly, I'm really excited to see her and play against her," Denson-Dorman said. "We keep in touch during the year because we're both on the east coast, so it's nice to have someone from back home when you're away at college."

While Denson-Dorman will be glad to see a familiar face from home, she'll be even more excited to play at Gampel after a long road trip. Since she joined the team, UConn is undefeated at Gampel. The Huskies went 8-0 at home last season and won their only home match so far this year, an Aug. 25 sweep of Manhattan. Head coach Holly Strauss feels UConn plays their best when they are in Storrs.

"It's great to be back in Gampel Pavilion. We have been on the road now for two weeks, and now we have our next 4 matches in Gampel," Strauss said. "Defending our home court creates a sense of comfort and pride. We are excited to show our fans how much we have improved as a team the last few weeks."

UConn comes home off of a loss, but that loss wasn't necessarily played poorly. Outside hitter Kate Seabaugh, among others, played her best volleyball of the season last weekend. She led the team in kills in two of the three matches, including a 22-kill, 13-dig outburst against Southeast Missouri State. For the season, Seabaugh leads the Huskies with 3.26 kills per game. Outside hitter Sadé Chambers continued her consistent play last weekend as well and currently ranks second on the team with 2.56 kills per contest. Denson-Dorman, who Strauss describes as the quarterback of UConn's offense, has been nothing short of sensational as she ranks fourth in the Big East with 0.56 service aces per game and sixth in the conference in assists with 11.67 per contest.

Denson-Dorman and the Huskies will close out their homestand with a tournament Friday and Saturday at Gampel Pavilion. Admission to those games, as well as the showdown with Northeastern tonight, is free.

Contact Kevin Duffy at

Kevin.R.Duffy@UConn.edu.