After an American Athletic Conference premiere weekend at home, UH stands at 3-1 in conference play.

After sweeping Cincinnati and being swept by Louisville, UH finds itself tied for third. Head coach Kaddie Platt said the squad showed prowess on both offense and defense throughout the weekend.

“We learned a lot about what we need to take care of,” Platt said after the Louisville loss. “Most of it is just working in the present and not giving up that last play before moving to the next.”

The Friday match against Cincinnati saw UH put on one of its more dominant offensive displays of the season, with freshman outside hitter and right side Sarita Mikals racking up a .500 hitting percentage, while junior right side Cortney Warren hit for .368 with 11 kills. Cincinnati was limited to fewer than 16 points in the final two sets of the match, falling 25-13 and 25-15.

“We had some great moments this weekend,” said senior defensive specialist Meredith Ware. “I like that we were given opportunities to see what we need to work on.”

Mikals, who also hit for her sixth double double of the season against Louisville, is a visible symbol of the immediate effect the new, younger players are having on the team.

“I saw that a lot of the new and younger players took care of their jobs,” Ware said. “They didn’t fold under the pressure and stayed composed and kept fighting.”

The Sunday match against Louisville saw what Platt noted as episodes of strong defense and a struggling offense. Blocked constantly at the net, UH struggled offensively, committing 10 hitting errors in the final set.

“We came in knowing it was going to be a tough game. It’s very important to stay persistent, especially for the younger players,” Ware said. “They haven’t experienced a true college season yet.”

Though Louisville dispatched UH in three sets, Platt said the team will go back to the drawing board on offense, using the loss as an early learning experience.

“We made some adjustment, which I like to see, but offensively we needed to be able to do more,” Platt said. “They’re just matches we have to play.”

sports@thedailycougar.com

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“Offensive improvement key for continued success in conference play” was originally posted on The Daily Cougar