MATCH INFORMATION: Hartford (5-19, 2-8 AE) vs UMass Lowell (5-20, 0-11 AE)
 DATE/TIME: Thursday, Nov. 9 (6 p.m.)
LOCATION: West Hartford, Conn.
COVERAGE: AE.TV | Live Stats | Twitter: @HartfordVBall             

FIRST SERVE
The University of Hartford volleyball team closes out its 2017 campaign on Sunday Afternoon, as it hosts UMass Lowell. Prior to the 1 p.m. tilt, the Hawks will honor their five-player senior class: Brianna Pacileo, Astrid Mangual Duran, Emma Lorenzo, Katy Henchy and Alyse Wenzel.
 
SCOUTING THE RIVER HAWKS
UMass Lowell currently sits last in the America East standings. After going 5-9 during non-conference play, the River Hawks have gone 0-11 in America East action. Katherine Claybaugh tops the squad with 267 kills on the season.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
The Hawks and River Hawks have seen some strong battles over the last few years, splitting the season series in both 2015 and 2016, with four of their last five matches going to five sets. Hartford holds a 10-2 advantage over UML in the all-time series.

JENNA ON THE BLOCK
Sophomore Jenna Bridges has been strong on the block all season but has upped her offensive game as of late. She had 11 kills at UMBC and 12 against Bryant to lead the team in two-straight matches. Bridges is second in the conference with 1.04 blocks per set, while her 0.41 aces per set lead the league as well.
 
THE NASHURAL
Freshman Abby Nash registered back-to-back matches with 19 kills against Binghamton and UMass Lowell, with each occurrence leading to a Hartford victory. On Oct. 10, she became the first Hawk to win conference Rookie of the Week laurels since Katy Henchy in 2014. She now sits atop the team with 191 kills on the year.

ANDY'S DANDY
Freshman Megan Anderson has stepped up at the setter position as of late, delivering 30-plus assists in seven of the last nine matches. She contributed 43 in the win over Binghamton and then followed that up with 46 in the win over UML. Since earning a spot as a regular in the lineup on Sept. 15, she has delivered at least 10 assists in each match and has 15 aces overall.
 
THE HENCHWOMAN
Katy Henchy has had a strong senior campaign, including earning all-tournament honors at the Hartford Invitational in September. Henchy led the squad with 31 kills in the event, hitting .233 on the weekend. She matched her season high with 13 kills at Stony Brook, and now has 181 on the year, second on the team.
 
SHOWING HER BRAUN
For the second time this season, freshman Brittany Braun collected all-tourney recognition at the SHU Invite. She also collected honors at the Dog Pound Challenge, hosted by UConn. Braun leads the team with a .239 attack percentage on the year, and her .87 blocks per set are third on the team and ninth in the league.
   
UNFAMILIAR FACES
While head coach Mitch Kallick is back for his third season, his two assistants are new faces for the Hawks. Mia Frugé joins the Hawks after a strong experience at Trinity University in San Antonio and the U.S. Naval Academy, while Kelsey Armstrong comes to the squad with significant club coaching experience under her belt.
 
SENIOR FIVE
Hartford boasts a five-person senior class, led by Henchy and Mangual Duran (269 assists). Henchy was second on the Hawks in both kills per set (2.06) and attack percentage (.183) last year, while Mangual Duran led the squad with 869 assists. Wenzel also returns in the middle and is fourth in the conference with .98 blocks per set, while Pacileo has provided strong service and Lorenzo has added depth and experience to the team.
 
JUNIORS MINT
The duo of juniors on Hartford's roster brings a veteran presence to the Hawks as well. Paulina Modestow has been one of Hartford's leading hitters since arriving on campus and was atop the squad with 2.95 kills per set a season ago – a total that ranked fifth in the America East. Montrashay Worley enters her third year on the back line, where she was sixth on the team with 1.55 digs per set.
 
SECOND-YEAR STUDS
The five-person sophomore class looks to build on a strong 2016 freshman year. Bridges aims to continue her rise in the America East Conference after being named to the All-Freshman Team and setting a Hartford rally-scoring era record with .93 blocks per set. Megan Scherer (2.15 digs per set) and Nicole Etta (.72) look to play a stronger role in the back in their second seasons as well. Olivia Rougeau (1.40 kills per set) and Dakota Butzler will continue to add depth in the front for the Hawks.
 
FRESH SEPTET
The Hawks' biggest class comes in the form of a talented group of seven for Kallick. In addition to Anderson, Nash, and Braun, Daisy Eklund and Lacey Zadra both add depth on the front line. Dacey Perez has stepped into the libero role already this season, and fellow freshman defensive specialist Jordan Fuelling has added significant depth to the back line.