STORRS, Conn. UConn volleyball returned to action for the first time in a week, squaring off with the Villanova Wildcats on Friday afternoon at the UConn Volleyball Center for their annual Breast Cancer Awareness match.

Huskies livened the crowd early, with two early Hanna Tylska kills and a Doga Kutlu ace contributing to an early 6-1 UConn advantage. Loren Winn poured in two quick kills with Kutlu and Pannell fueling a Husky run that forced Villanova to call an early timeout with UConn leading 10-3. UConn stretched the lead to double digits in the first, on the back of kills from Pannell and Grace Maria, and two Villanova errors. Nova responded on the defensive end, with two blocks as they chipped away at the UConn lead. However, Pannell and Tylska kept the Huskies strong start alive to take the first set 25-16. 

Villanova got off to a quicker start in the second, capitalizing on UConn errors and Abby Harrell kills to get in front 7-4. The Huskies rattled off three quick points to close the gap to 8-7 after a left-handed kill from Pannell. After UConn called a timeout, they came out firing on a 4-0 run to tie the score at 12, helped by another Kutlu ace and two more kills from Winn. An exciting second set saw both sides making plays on both ends to even the tilt again at 18-all. Harrell and Tylska kept the pressure on for their respective teams, with two clutch kills each late in the second, keeping the score knotted at 22. Villanova was able to fend off the Huskies, with Campbell McKinnon clinching the second set with an ace to tie the match with a Wildcat set win.

UConn fell behind in the third, with a handful of errors putting them in a hole early, trailing 6-3. The Wildcats continued their strong efforts, with multiple kills from Cat Young starting a 3-0 run that got the visitors in front 11-7. Villanova's lead got pushed all the way to 14-7 in the third set. UConn responded with kills from Tylska and Anna Herman to slightly close the gap to 15-10 at the media timeout. The Huskies continued to chip away at the Nova lead, charging all the way back to tie the third set at 20-all. With palpable tension in the air, UConn snagged a late 23-22 lead after a Hanna Tylska kill got the Wildcats to call timeout. After a successful UConn challenge overturned the score, Pannell stepped up with a booming kill to complete the third set comeback, as the Huskies took it 27-25.

The intensity persisted between the teams continued with UConn up two sets to one, with both squads traded points to have the score level at 5. It was the visiting Wildcats who got the first slim lead in the fourth, with Elizabeth Feczko serving in an ace to get Villanova in front 9-6. Hanna Tylska strung together three consecutive kills to put UConn back in front at 12-10. Villanova charged back, with blocks from McKinnon and Harrell tying the score at 13-all. The Huskies took a slim lead late, with Nova errors and strong defesnvie play getting the hosts in front 20-19. UConn slammed the door in the fourth set, with Anna Herman, Grace Maria, and Loren Winn pouring in kills to lift the Huskies to their fifth conference win in a row.

Four Huskies finished with double-digit kills, led by Tylska's match-high 16. Abby Harrell contributed 15 kills in the defeat for Villanova.

Of Note: UConn moved to 11-0 at the UConn Volleyball Center, moving to 17-2 overall on the season. Kutlu's 32 digs were the most recorded by any player in BIG EAST conference play, surpassing DePaul's Rachel Krasowski's mark of 27. 

Up Next: UConn will play the second match of a back-to-back, taking on St. John's Saturday afternoon at 4pm, airing on SNY. Villanova will continue their road-trip tomorrow afternoon against Providence at 3pm.