STORRS, Conn. – Villanova volleyball started off its weekend in New England with a four-set loss, falling to Connecticut (16-25, 25-22, 25-27, 20-25) in VU's sixth four-set match of the season.
Three players hit the double digit kill mark for Villanova (11-7, 4-3 BIG EAST), led by Abby Harrell's fourth double-double of the year at 15 kills and 13 digs.
Cat Young added her second collegiate double-double on 11 kills and 10 digs as Campbell McKinnon totaled 11 kills, a match-best four blocks and a career-high three aces.
Taylor Jakubowski contributed her sixth double-double after 22 assists and 12 digs while Alyssa Nelson tallied a team-high 23 assists. Elizabeth Feczko led her side at 15 digs and Ozzie Ozonoh tied with McKinnon for a match-best four rejections.
The Wildcats out-aced the fifth best serving team in the country seven to five and out-blocked the Huskies on the afternoon as well.
Connecticut got out to a hot start in the match, opening the first set with a 4-0 run and moving to edges of 10-3 and 14-4 before VU took both of its pauses. The 'Cats battled back with a 6-2 stretch to close the deficit, but the hosts captured the opening frame 25-16.
The Wildcats were the aggressors early on in set two, securing a 12-8 advantage to force a Husky break. UConn answered with four straight to tie it before the sides exchanged runs then sided out up through 22-all when the Wildcats strung together three in a row to even the match at a set apiece.
Villanova again jumped on the hosts to begin the third, going up 11-5 and moving to a 17-11 edge. After a home timeout, Connecticut took six of the next eight to prompt a VU break at 19-17, tied it at 20 and moved to a 23-22 lead before taking the stanza in extra points.
The sides traded runs and points in the fourth up until the Huskies became the first to 15 and UConn finished the match on a 5-0 string to end it in four.
UP NEXT: The 'Cats will round out the weekend in Rhode Island, traveling to Providence for a 3:00 p.m. matchup against the Friars at Alumni Hall.
