UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Kicking off the 2026 season, the High Point University volleyball team won a five-set thriller against the University of Connecticut to start the Penn State Invitational weekend.
"It wasn't the cleanest match, but the first match usually isn't," Head Coach
Ryan Meek stated. "We got contributions from a lot of players and figured out how to get the win. I loved our fight and that we stuck to our systems and found a way to win."
Site: Rec Hall
Score: High Point 3, UConn 2
Record: High Point (1-0), UConn (0-1)
With the match being High Point's first competition of the regular-season, the Panthers took some time in the first set to get going. Trailing slightly through the opening points, the Panthers stayed focused and took their first lead at 13-12 with multiple big kills from Élodie Lalonde to lead into a 15-13 advantage at the media break. Out of the break Lalonde punched in another kill, her fourth of the set to start 4-for-4 on the attack and give HPU a 16-14 lead.
Hitting down her first kill of her collegiate career,
Alden Schwartz gave High Point its 22nd point, paving the way for a 5-0 run after trailing 24-21 with a set point insight for the Huskies. Lalonde tied the set at 24 all, followed by a big double block from
Maya Bukovcan and
Remy Catojo. Putting the pressure on UConn, an error by the Huskies gave High Point the 26-24 win in set one.
Set two opened with back-and-forth action as each team traded points after each rally. High Point exploded on a 7-0 run midway through the set to take a 20-12 lead.
Addison Freeland and Catojo played a big role in putting down kills and tag teaming blocks.
UConn chipped away and closed the gap, eventually taking the set in extra points 27-25.
HPU trailed early in set three, 8-4. After a UConn service error, the Panthers took advantage gaining kills in the middle from Freeland and a service ace from Bukovcan. Freshman outside hitter
Kinnady Boothe gave High Point the boost with a kill to make it 10-9 in favor of the Panthers. Catojo landed a service ace of her own to lead 13-9.
Neither team backed down. Lalonde and Bukovcan put the hammer down on a double block to keep the Panthers on top, 16-14. The set tied four times before High Point held a 21-20 lead. Lalonde took care of business on the outside with three big kills to propel the Panthers to a 25-23 victory and another set win to go up 2-1 in the match.
In set four, the Panthers fell behind 14-6 early. HPU was unable to get back in an offensive groove and continued to trail throughout the set, only closing the gap to within six points before falling 25-17 to tie the sets at 2-2 and force a fifth.
Coming down to the deciding set in the fifth, the Panthers trailed 6-2 out the gate. Freeland sparked a run with big hits in the middle to put HPU within one point, 6-5.
Gabby Hill heated up to give High Point a lead after hammering down three straight kills to make it 10-8.
UConn answered and took the lead back at 11-10 but
Aisha Keric put the Panthers back on top with a kill on the right side. Bukovcan added cushion with a kill to give HPU a two-point advantage. Lalonde connected on two kills and helped secure the 15-13 win for High Point's first win of the season.
Lalonde finished with 16 kills on a .279 hitting percentage followed by Hill with 11 kills. In the middle, Freeland and Bukovcan each added nine kills while Keric on the right side contributed five. The Panthers did damage on the block picking up 10 to UConn's seven. Catojo distributed 38 assists to the team's 57 kills.
UP NEXT: High Point remains at the Penn State Invitational and will take on Hofstra on Saturday, August 29 at 11:30 a.m. at Rec Hall.
#GoHPU
